


Orbiting You Like You're Not a Pending Catastrophe

by Paranoixa



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Ladybug's a creep in this, Loneliness, Loss of Control, Personified Personas, Pre-Relationship, Unhealthy Relationships, cliches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-04 17:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14597991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paranoixa/pseuds/Paranoixa
Summary: There are no instructions for being a superhero; no dos and don'ts on how to save a city from destroying itself. But the sense of accomplishment accompanying her each night she saves an akumatized civilian from themselves overshadows any doubts she has towards the mission. Befriending the narcissistic, power-hungry manifestation of her Persona wasn't exactly expected, but it's a part of the job, she supposes.. . .She drops to the floor, pushes herself through Marinette's bubble, and presses her lips to the outsides of Marinette's ear. "What the hell does it matter what they think", she hisses. "They are beneath you. They are weak, and they are selfish, and they are foolish. Their silly opinions don't matter. You are Ladybug. You are the best thing this damn city has to offer, and they dare think to ridicule you?"Marinette stares down at her. She leans back and takes a jagged breath. "I'm really not that...good.""Oh, but you are. You are. Just keep letting me in. I'll show you things you never even considered to be true, show you just what you can be when you've got the right kind of firepower." Ladybug nips at her ear and titters. "Then we'll see just how clever those bitches think they are."





	1. The Catacombs

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys. Big news, I have a new story. Even bigger news, updates for this will be frequent because I outlined this. Woohoo, I'm a professional! But seriously, I'm really excited for this fic and hope you guys like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: So there's a few descriptions in here that I'm now realizing could be offensive; in this fic, there's a lot more crime in Paris, and there's a lot of emphasis on "saving Paris" from itself and keeping it from becoming a wasteland of sorts. Spoiler alert: the later chapters, 9 (give or take, I'm still editing at the time of this note), do see Paris in a very... cataclysmic setting. I mean no disrespect to anyone living in or who has lived in Paris. This fic is purely fictional and is not meant to represent my feelings of the city, and I apologize if it offends anyone.

Being on her own is disjointing.

Where once there had always been music and lively voices, the only sounds now emitting from the apartment originate from her upstairs neighbors. The sounds of her own footsteps startle Marinette, so three days after her parents leave for a Bakery Exposition in Avignon, she takes to her headphones, ardently seeking recluse in the mellow ballad pulsing from her iPod. But there's no escaping the vacuity of the apartment.

So, when she's finished with homework and sketching the beginnings of a spring jacket, she transforms into Ladybug, launches herself through her bedroom window, and flings into the nightlife of Paris.

The discordant sounds of car horns and idle chatter is soothing as Marinette somersaults over rooftops and trapezes over telephone wires. It's a respite from the noxious silence of her home. As she meets Chat Noir outside the Arc de Triomphe, Marinette's thrumming with stifled energy and anticipation. She's bouncing on the balls of her feet and twirling her yoyos between her fingers. Chuckling at the fidgeting, Chat stretches his arms behind his back and rotates his neck clockwise.

"Eager to get started, are we?"

Marinette rolls her eyes and turns to the southern pillar of the Arc. She steps forward, the movement eased by the marble masonry beneath her feet, and presses a hand against the ecru sculptures reaching out from the monument. Running her fingers over the chiseled stone beneath the towering goddess of Victory, she looks over her shoulder and asks, "What's on the menu?"

"Not much. There's tell of a standoff over on Rue Baillet and a convenience store robbery near Rue Basse. And I might have heard something about a disturbance in the Catacombs."  
She frowns at that. Turning to face him, she pinches her lower lip between her fingers and asks, "The Catacombs? Why would anyone be poking around there?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is some guys saw streaks of red coming from the entrance", Chat replies with a shrug. His bell jingles from the movement: buoyant and lively and not unlike those welcoming patrons into the Boulangerie Patisserie.

Marinette's eyes bring the delicate instrument into focus, a speck of gold against a backdrop of black. Tempted to reach out and cradle the bell in her hand, she averts her stare. She winds and unwinds her yo-yo, then says, "That's three places for the two of us. We should split up and come back together for the standoff; you know how those are."

"Yeah, those are always kinda intense." Chat materializes his staff, resting his chin on the butt of it as he stares up at Marinette. "So I was thinking I'd take the robbery while you take the Catacombs."

She tosses her yo-yo and lassoes it around a street lamp. "Wouldn't it make sense for a cat to be running around the cCatacombs", she muses, jutting her hip out.

"Oh, well, if you're scared, milady-"  
"Shut it and get to Rue Basse." Marinette gives the yo-yo a tug and finds herself zipping off the ground and through the air. From below, Chat salutes her before proceeding to crawl onto all fours and follow her directions. As Marinette's feet settle onto yet another rooftop, she smirks and locks her yoyos into place. Ducking beneath a few clotheslines and hopping over a discarded mop bucket introduces an odd sense of relief. After lounging around the house for hours on end, the activity is a welcomed, almost relieving, change of pace.

And then there's the power. Assuming the Ladybug Persona enhances her physical abilities, no doubt, but there's also a psychological component; of not only becoming more than her corporeal self but also becoming another person entirely; flinging through the lucent city towards the Barrière d'Enfer, Marinette is intoxicated with confidence and resolve. The hellish nature of her destination is a matter of vague concern, and as she draws nearer, the rising sensation in her chest only builds.

The cluster of houses and businesses fade to scattered buildings of a decaying presence. Beyond that, the land dips and reveals a ditch tunneling deep into the earth. Marinette withdraws her yo-yo and lands at the foot of the extensive trench, a cloud of dust billowing at her feet. An archaic sign sits embedded in the walls, warning trespassers against disgracing the slumber of those buried. As she strolls past it, a chill snakes underneath her suit and pierces her skin. The euphoria dwindles, like a gushing stream of water trickling to a mere drip; taking hold of her forearms, Marinette continues onwards, dimly aware of the growing presence of souls, of something not quite alive but not quite dead either.

And she should be scared. If not for the taboo of the act, then for the uncertainty of her task. Even as she delves further into the Catacombs, uncovering signs of recent disturbance, she doesn't startle. She just keeps trekking, more concerned with the frequent brushstrokes of graffiti than the sinister atmosphere of the tunnels. It's why, when she finally finds a robbed figure standing upon a pit of chalky bones, Marinette's only response is to retrieve her yo-yo and stiffen her stance.

"Excuse me", she yells, twirling the yoyos beside her. The figure turns around, and Marinette smirks as she tosses her tools towards the cloaked being. They wrap around their waist and send them tumbling down the pile, bones following in the avalanche and crowding around the figure as it crashes to the floor. "Maybe you weren't aware", she begins, approaching the being with a calm voice. She crouches beside it and reaches for its hood. "But the Catacombs are currently off-limits to civilians."  
A coarse voice emits from the hood. "I guess I could say the same for you."  
"Maybe. But then again." The strings of her yoyos glow red, and Marinette tightens their hold on the person. "I'm not exactly a civilian, am I?"

The figure raises its head and smiles. It's a woman. "No", she agrees. "I suppose you aren't."  
"Okay, enough small talk." Marinette pulls the woman to her feet, blocking her view of the pile of bones with her body. The woman's arms burn red against the force of the strings; the sight unnerves Marinette, but when she catches the woman's amused smirk, she's almost tempted to increase the pressure. "What's your business here", Marinette demands; she gives the woman a gentle yet firm push and begins guiding her away from the tunnels.

"Nothing particularly nefarious", Hood replies, shrugging as much as she can through her restraints. "Just your run-of-the-mill sorcery; a girl can't kick the night off without a little fun. You do know what fun is, don't you?" She titters and looks over her shoulder at Marinette. "Or are all those pesky toxins too much for one body? Not enough room for anything else?"

At that, Marinette slows her pace and raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"  
"I'm talking about you, darling. Well, not you, per se, but your miraculous."

She delivers a swift kick to Hood's stomach and sends her doubling over. The resulting huff of air expelled from her pleases Marinette in ways she's taken care to avoid contemplating. She pulls the woman up by her hair and dips to hiss into her ear, "You don't know what you're talking about."  
The woman chuckles lightly. She tilts her head back and croons, "Really? You know, I'm having a hard time believing you. With a reaction like that, I'm almost inclined to believe just the opposite." She nods to the black and red pieces of jewelry attached to Marinette's earlobes. "The Ladybug Miraculous. Obviously", she explains. When Marinette makes no move to silence her, Hood continues. "Gives its wearer strength and confidence and an elevated sense of leadership. You know the spiel, you've been living it for about three years now."

Marinette flushes. Her yo-yos recede to rest on her waist; she takes a step back and scowls. "You say that like it's a bad thing."  
"Oh, it wouldn't be. If it weren't for the, ah, side effects. But you know how that is. Nothing good comes without a price."  
"You say this as if you've got experience with the Miraculous", she interrupts with a distrusting eye. "But that's impossible. Mine's been deactivated for thousands of years, and no civilians know about them."  
Hood rolls her eyes and raises her arms. Her eyes flash red, and she takes a step forward. "Well, that's just the thing", she says just as a tremendous rumbling emits from behind Marinette. "I'm not exactly a citizen either, honey."

With that, she reaches into the sleeves of her robes and pulls out two glistening ornaments. Marinette spends half a second eyeing the objects in confusion before Hood launches them from her hands; they glide through the air and slam into her stomach, expelling a pained grunt in the process. In the moments it takes her to recover, Hood has reached into her sleeves yet again and retrieved a minuscule spellbook. She utters a few words in a language Marinette doesn't recognize; the ornaments split open at Marinette's feet and expel a thick puff of purple smoke. She swipes her hands through the air and breaks through the vibrant smog; upon blinking and scanning the cave, though, Marinette finds the woman, and the pile of bones, to have disappeared. The only sign of their presence lies in the dust where the pile once sat and the ornaments beside her feet. Crouching to take hold of the metallic orbs, Marinette sighs. She rubs her eyes and turns towards the exit.

It's a long journey back to the surface.

. . .

The standoff has ended by the time Marinette joins the scene. Chat sits perched upon the statue of a lioness outside the Espace Dalí , tapping his fingers against his chin in unconcealed apathy. When he spots her, his spine straightens, and he leaps from the statue, rushing to meet her. "Lady", he greets. "I was just about to take off and go looking for you." He's about to say something else when the faulty silvery light from the street lamp above flickers on and illuminates the purple powder coating Marinette's suit; he then takes note of the unfocused glint in her eye and frowns. He leans forward and asks, "Are you okay?"

Marinette sways. She looks over Chat's shoulder; two police officers cuff a man dressed in black to a park bench and reach for the radios upon their waists. One catches Marinette's stare, smiles, and gives a shy wave before returning to her device. Marinette shifts her eyes back to Chat and says, "Yes."

Chat nods, the movement slow and accompanied by an arched eyebrow. "Right. What's with all the, uh, purple? You get attacked by a clown?"

"More like a woman in a robe. She was talking about magic and… and my Miraculous."

He stretches out a hand to steady her and directs her to the steps of the curb of the street. "She knows about them", he asks, sitting beside her. His eyes are wide with worry, and his hand has moved to rest beside hers. Seeming to think better of the movement, he quickly withdraws the hand and moves it to scratch the back of his head. "Uh, is that something we should be worried about?"

"We should probably be worried catching her", Marinette sighs. She tugs on one of her sleeves and stares at the smudges of purple spotting the red material.. "She smoke-bombed me-"  
"Seriously?"  
"-before I could get much more out of her. But she definitely knows something. She was saying things that only someone with a Miraculous would know; it was all so bizarre. Like I was talking to another Ladybug. Only darker and magic-y."

A siren blares from the police car parked a few meters to the side. Marinette and Chat watch as the officers guide the man into the backseat and themselves into the front seat. They give brief nods to the teens, then drive away, the tires of the car crackling against the crumbling asphalt. Marinette watches the car disappear down the road before turning to Chat. He's staring at her. His cheeks tinted red, he once again asks, "Are you sure you're okay?"  
"Yes, yes, I'm fine", Marinette reassures, giving him a smile that's meant to comfort him but only serves to drain her further. "Just a little dizzy is all. I'll feel better after a bath and some rest."

Chat falls silent. Before he can get in another word, Marinette rises from the steps. She reaches for her yo-yo and is searching for a viable target when leather-clad fingers latch onto her forearm. Looking up, she finds Chat staring once more, his features contorted in scrutinization. His eyes zip from her weary expression to her precarious stance. It's only when he's finished taking in the exhausted Marinette does he finally settle upon her eyes. Neither moves and, for a moment, all she can think of is the firm grip of his hand on her arm.

And then it's over.

"Goodbye, Chat." She tosses her yo-yo around a street lamp and, within seconds, launches off the ground and disappears.

. . .

Walking home is more of a struggle than usual, even more so than her most unruly battles. It occurs to her that she could minimize the trip with a few simple swings, but the energy required to do such a thing keeps Marinette's feet firmly planted on the ground.

This part of the city's asleep: window drapes have been drawn, dark and ominous from the absence of light peering through the thin glass; the streets are barren of people, and the usual clamor of impatient car horns and barking dogs has been replaced with the delighted thrilling of crickets and buzzing of central heating systems. It's cold for a mid-May night in Paris, something that Marinette is increasingly aware of as her Miraculous loses power.

A flash of white engulfs her; her suit recedes and, in its place, appear a white t-shirt and pink pajama bottoms. Upon finding the clothes to also be coated in purple, she pulls at her shirt and holds the hem between twitching fingers. The powder sticks to her fingertips and, after a brief moment, sinks into the skin. Marinette groans, staring in mild horror as something in her blood gives an abrupt, violent lurch. Small bubbles emerge through her skin, and something saccharine swells from her stomach and floods her taste buds. She parts her lips, raises three fingers to gently press them between the gap, and waits. When she pulls her fingers away, they're covered with a viscid substance; it's thick like tar but as red as the attire of her Persona.

"Kinda freaky, ain't it?"  
Marinette whips her head around and braces her arms beside herself. She's about to reach for the container of mace in her purse when she finds the sidewalk still devoid of life. Giving the neighborhood an extensive once-over, she frowns but allows her stance to relax.

The rest of the walk home is uneventful; nonetheless, she keeps her hand close to her purse and only finds herself at ease after letting herself into the apartment and collapsing into bed.

. . .

The sun rises the next morning, partially cloaked by thick, gray clouds, and encourages Marinette out of bed. She stumbles from her room and into the kitchen, where she fixes herself half a bowl of Fruit Loops. Then, scratching her hair, she walks into the living room and takes a seat on the couch. Snatching the TV remote from the coffee stand and balancing her cereal attentively, she eases into the welcoming cotton of the couch and sighs; she flicks on a rerun of House of Anubis and lifts her spoon.

Before it passes her lips, though, Marinette pauses to consider her milk: the dye from the cereal has begun to run and turned her milk red. The soggy o's stare up at her like hollowed out eyes; if it wasn't for the early morning induced-lethargy, the sight would have been more troublesome. Instead, she shovels the spoon into her mouth, places the remote beside her, and settles in for her program.


	2. Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette meets someone with a familiar face.

Two weeks have passed before Marinette actually sees her; two weeks of roaming a house that's too quiet, over studying, compulsively knitting, and fending off the worried advances of Chat. It's all been quite tiring, but she's been rushing from one task to the next, so it's only when she's got some downtime does she realize the insistent ache in her bones.

Walking towards her bathroom on an inclement Thursday, she grabs her elbow and tucks it behind her head until her fingers reach the middle of her spine. She hears a refreshing crack, but her muscles are still taut and knotted.

"They definitely don't mention this in the job application", Marinette groans as her feet meet chilled tiles. She reaches for the towel rack for a washcloth but stops upon catching sight of another Marinette, decked out in the Ladybug suit, standing behind her in the mirror. She turns around.

But there's no one there.

"Tikki", Marinette calls out, pulling open the door of the linen closet; it's empty. "Did you hear something?"  
From Marinette's room, Tikki shouts back, "No, I'm afraid not. Is something the matter?"

"No, no, nothing." Trembling slightly, she ducks to retrieve her rag and starts for the shower with light footsteps. "I just, uh, could have sworn I saw someone-something." She begins to disrobe, pulling at the buttons of her night-shirt, and sighs. "I need to get some sleep."

"Can't argue with that", Tikki replies. She flies into the bathroom and rests on the corner of the sink. Tilting her head, she looks up at Marinette and says, "You haven't been quite right ever since that attack in the Catacombs."  
"Speaking of, that's another thing I need to stay on top off", Marinette says through a yawn. She flicks the handle of the shower and lets out a relieved breath at the sound of water gushing against the pearl-white bottom of the tub. "I asked the Prefecture to keep an eye out for Hood, but they haven't found anything. It's like she's just disappeared."  
"Well, she'll turn up eventually", Tikki consoles, her antenna twitching in certainty. "They always do."  
"Yeah, can't argue with that." Marinette ducks out of the remainder of her clothes and steps into the tub. Her eyes flick to the mirror, and she frowns. Tikki, noticing the movement, settles into Marinette's pile of clothes and sits facing the door. "How about I keep a lookout while you're bathing", she asks. "I've got keen eyes, you know."

Marinette settles beneath the water and gives Tikki a bashful smile. "Thanks."

"It's no problem, Mari. You deserve the break. Let me take care of things for a minute."

And she does. Relishing in the gentle slide of water over her skin, Marinette dips her head beneath the war and smiles; it's been so long since she's taken a moment for herself, so long since she's focused on anything but work and school. Allowing herself a moment's respite isn't easy (there's too much that demands her attention for it to be truly relaxing), but the inaction of it all is quite nice: dragging her washcloth across her belly, scooping handfuls of water over her shoulder, running her fingers through soapy strands of hair; all simple tasks, and yet so very soothing.

When she finishes, Marinette reaches for and removes the plug from the shower drain. Soap suds and water swirl and recede into the pipes. She rises to full height, pulling back the shower curtain, and stills at the sight of the sink. Tikki has vanished; in her place sits Marinette in the Ladybug suit, staring idly at her fingernails.  
Upon catching Marinette's petrified stare, the look-alike pulls a thoughtful face and says, "I know you can't see 'em in the suit, but I kinda wanna get 'em done." She smirks and looks up at Marinette. "Don't you?"

"Tikki", Marinette shouts in distress, pulling a towel off the wall and frantically wrapping it around herself.

The other Marinette rolls her eyes and holds out a hand. "No need for that, Ms. Mari", she reassures in nonchalance. "We've got the same bits, you know. It's nothing I haven't already seen."  
"Who are you?"  
"...That isn't an actual question, is it?"

Marinette thrusts her elbow against the other Marinette's throat and narrows her eyes. Pressing the copy against the mirror, she demands, "Who are you?"

"All right, all right, no need to get aggressive. Sheesh. And to think you're secretly a superhero", she giggles, giving a visible shudder in delight. "It's baffling, really." Marinette's presses harder, prompting the other Marinette to fall silent.

"No sense of humor, though. We're gonna have to work on that."  
"You still haven't answered my question."

"Well, I'm not particularly in the mood for an interrogation; especially not when said interrogator's on the verge of choking me." When Marinette doesn't move, the copy's skin flushes red; she glares at Marinette and growls, "Drop the arm, child. Before this becomes unnecessarily messy."

Marinette purses her lips; holding her double's eye for a moment, she eventually nods and lowers her arm from her throat. "There", she says, splaying her hands out in exaggeration. "Now, my question; why do you look like me? And why are you wearing the Ladybug suit?"  
She presses her back against the mirror and smiles. "Because I am Ladybug. As for why I'm wearing your face, well, that's more of a comfort thing than anything else."  
"Trust me, I'm not comforted", Marinette scoffs. "And that doesn't make any sense. I'm Ladybug."  
"No, you're a second-rate security guard that's too busy adhering to the rules to actually get this city back under control." Swinging her legs beneath her, Ladybug tosses her hair over her shoulder and sighs. "Then there's me: the object of this pathetic attempt at mimicry; every time you activate those earrings, you're channeling something to make yourself more confident, more assertive. Haven't you ever wondered where that comes from?"

Marinette raises an eyebrow. She thinks back to her brief conversation with Hood and takes in a sharp inhale. Turning her back to Ladybug, she closes her eyes and says, "God, it's too early for this."  
"Oh, no. I don't think so, honey. I answered your question, now it's your turn to answer mine. Fair's fair, you know, and we are all about fair. Aren't we?"  
She glowers and tucks her chin into the base of her neck; as much as she'd hate to admit it, the double does have a point. Likewise, this is the second time she's been approached about her Persona. Whereas last time she'd had little time to seek answers, she now has the opportunity to delve deeper into the matter. "Fine", Marinette relents as she turns back to her. She wraps her arms around her waist, walks towards the toilet, and takes a seat. Mindful of her lack of attire, Marinette is careful as she tosses one leg over the other and glances up at Ladybug. In turn, Ladybug sneers and leans closer. "You wanna hear a story?"  
"Quit it with the theatrics. I'm here to figure this thing out, not to have a good time."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that. But okay." Ladybug whistles a quick tune, tapping her nails against one another, and hops off the sink. She sashays towards the bathtub, steps onto the ledge, and grips the curtain rod with gentle hands. "First things first", she begins, lowering one hand to place it against her heart. "I'm Ladybug."  
"We covered that already."  
"Don't be rude, I've got the mic now."  
Marinette raises her hands in apology.

"Thank you. Now, I'm Ladybug. Not someone wearing a mask pretending to be Ladybug but the actual Ladybug."  
"So Ladybug is a person?"  
"No, it's a concept; a Persona to be exact. The Persona you take on every time you transform."  
"And that's a bad thing?"  
"Oh, God, no." Ladybug does a quick pull-up, seemingly pleased when the rod doesn't give out under her weight. Swinging back and forward, she explains, "Miraculous Personas rarely ever manifest; when they do, it's because the wearer's overindulging in the power." She winks at Marinette and chuckles. "You naughty girl, you."

Marinette blushes and scowls. "I'm not overindulging."  
"You haven't gone a single night without transforming since you got the earrings. Not to mention those little 'confidence boost sessions' you have throughout the day."  
"They're just a little pick-me-up", Marinette stutters, hopping off the toilet. She steps into her bedroom and starts for her wardrobe. Swiping past several t-shirts, she mutters, "Everyone needs one now and again. And, like you said, I am a superhero; a teen superhero at that. Of course, I'm gonna need a little...refresher now and again."  
Ladybug follows after her, giggling and hopping from one foot to the other. "You sound like an addict, you know."  
"I'm not an addict." She snatches a t-shirt off a hanger and grabs a pair of orange shorts. "I just like feeling in control, and my Miraculous lets me do that. And you're distracting me. We're supposed to be talking about you."  
"Someone's getting defensive."  
"Ladybug-"  
"Fine, fine." Ladybug leans against the wardrobe and blows a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "Where was I? Right, right. So you're overindulging, no judgement, and it's caused me to manifest. 'Why', you may ask. Because I like control. You like control. We're like the dynamic duo. But, you know, with Batman and Joker instead of Batman and Robin."  
"So who does that make me", Marinette questions. She does a shooing motion with her hand. Ladybug turns around, albeit with an exaggerated sigh. "Batman or Joker?"  
"Oh, but isn't the fun in finding out the answer for yourself? Besides, the answer doesn't really matter. They're both pretty amazing. Anyway, so we both like control; only you don't necessarily feel in control. Quite the contrary, you're actually spiraling into an abyss of loneliness and abandonment. That, my sweet Mari, is where I come in."  
Marinette scoffs. Struggling into her shirt, she shakes her head and says, "So you're supposed to be, what, my new imaginary friend until I get my head together."  
"If that's how you want to see it", Ladybug replies with a wave of her hand. "Look, you're looking at this like it's a bad thing, but I don't think you understand how great this is. I am the Ladybug, which means I know all of my powers and all of my weaknesses. I can help you be the best me possible. And." She places her hands on her hips and gives a light shrug. "If you want, I could even help you out with your civilian life."  
Marinette pulls open another drawer and pulls out a pair of panties: oddly enough, they're a spotted red against a backdrop of black. She blushes, steps into the underwear and her shorts, and grabs Ladybug by the shoulder to look her in the eye. "And how would an Abstract superhero know anything about civilian life?"

"Trust me." Ladybug brushes her hand off her shoulder, giving Marinette a brief glare, and saunters over to the bed. She settles back on her elbows and flexes her toes. "Once you figure out how to save other people, it's pretty easy figuring out how to save yourself."  
"This is crazy. This is all crazy. I must be imagining this."  
"For your sake, I hope not. Cause if you are, you've got a really fucked up imagination."

"Am I actually considering letting you help me", Marinette whispers to herself. "I don't even know you." She lifts her head and shoots a scowl at Ladybug. "You just popped up in my bathroom while I was taking a shower. You could have been-" She falters and pales. Craning her neck towards the bathroom, she gapes at the glistening sink and pales. "Tikki. Tikki was there-she was there before you appeared. And she'd never leave me to deal with something like this alone." She whips her head back to Ladybug and rushes towards her lax figure on the bed. "What did you do to her?"  
"Nothing too dastardly", Ladybug reassures. "I just needed the little insect out of the picture for a while. She's a bit old-fashioned, isn't particularly fond of materialized Personas." She rolls her eyes and mutters, "Kinda racist but whatever." When Marinette takes a step forward, Ladybug raises a hand and continues. "She's fine. Just spending a few hours in the Astral Plane."  
"Everything about this is wrong", Marinette cries out. "Tikki is one of my only friends! You tell me you sent her to another plane of existence, and I'm just supposed to be okay with that."  
Ladybug blinks. She shrugs again and nods her head towards the door. "Well", she observes. "You haven't made any move to leave or to get rid of me. So I guess it doesn't bother you that much."

Marinette's raises a hand to her mouth. Biting on a thumbnail, she squeezes her eyes shut and takes a shaky breath. She doesn't realize her feet are moving until she's squatting to sit on the bed. Beside her, Ladybug scoots close, smiling.

"Like I said", her double says in a leveled voice. "This doesn't have to be a bad thing. I'm here to help you out. Whether or not you want it, that's on you. But I'll always be here."  
Marinette flicks her eyes open. She turns to ask Ladybug something, but when she does, she finds the other side of her bed empty. Even the bedsheets are undisturbed, as if someone (something) hadn't just been sitting there a moment ago. Marinette tugs on her shirt collar and wheezes quietly. "Always, huh?"


	3. Corruption at Its Finest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette stops a burglary with some help, gets a little more background on Ladybug, and has an interesting (yet pleasing exchange) with a fellow classmate.

It's a routine burglary: someone in a ski mask broke into a couple's apartment before making off with their collection of jewels; rather unfortunate for the couple themself, who've lost the jewels in addition to a nice coffee table and a few vases, but it's nothing Marinette hasn't handled before. She cuts the burglar off as they're rounding a corner and brings back her arm for a quick blow. Before she can, though, something smacks against the person's head and sends them tumbling backward into a pile of trash cans. Marinette turns around, her muscles taut and her hands clammy, and gulps. Chat's dangling from a window ledge, one arm resting over his knee and the other beside his thigh.

"Hey", he greets. The burglar groans and crawls to her hands and knees. Marinette extends a hand, and her yo-yo wraps around the woman's waist; falling to her side, she curses and grumbles as Marinette crouches to search her pockets.

"Hey, Chat."

Chat's tail flicks, and his eyes narrow. A soft growl emanates from his chest as he drops from the window ledge and lands beside Marinette. "Haven't seen you around much lately-"

"I've been busy", Marinette cuts in. Her face burns red, and something hot tickles the back of her neck. She draws in a shuddering breath and rises from her crouch. "I'm still busy", she explains. "I have a life, you know? I don't exactly have time to dedicate every night to this job." Chat stares at her with dejected eyes; she's tempted to erase the distance between them and cradle his lowered head between her scorching hands.

"Then what are you waiting for", Ladybug questions, blowing hot air into Marinette's ear. "Just pretend I'm not even here."

Marinette lifts the woman off the ground and pushes her towards Chat. Wiping a hand across her forehead, she looks up at Chat and says, "Take her to the station and make sure they know half of the stolen jewelry is still missing. Tell 'em to complete a background check, find out who her friends are. One of them could be holding them for her."  
"Okay, I will, but can we talk first", Chat asks, his eyebrows drawn together in frustration. "You've been gone for weeks, Lady. You're back for five minutes, on a mission you haven't didn't even invite me to, and now you're leaving again? What's going on?"  
"Could we save the lover's quarrel for later", the burglar admonishes as she struggles in Chat's grip. In response, Chat tightens his hold on her and hisses, "I suggest you shut it before I get angry."  
"You listen to me, kitty boy, you not even a cop. You're just a freak in a suit. You got no right to arrest me."

"I think the mayor would disagree. Now shut up." He turns his eyes back to Marinette and pulls his lower lip between his teeth. "I'm just worried about you. You were acting really weird the last time we met. Are you-are you sure you're okay?"  
Marinette glances at Ladybug, prompting her to raise a hand and wiggle her fingers in a playful wave. Turning back around, she coughs into her arm and says, "I'm fine. Really. I'm just dealing with some things at the moment. I promise I'll be back to myself soon."  
Chat stares. His expression is relaxed, controlled to a certain degree, but he doesn't seem convinced. Nevertheless, he nods and says, "Well, whenever you're ready, I'll be here. I'll be putting these 'felines' in jail-"  
"God, that was awful", Marinette with a light laugh.  
"But I'll be here." Chat forces the burglar to her feet and looks over his shoulder. "Just give me the word. Mkay?"

She smiles. Behind her, Ladybug points a finger into her mouth and pretends to faint. "Mkay." Marinette removes her yo-yo from her belt and flings it through the air. It fastens itself around the railing of an old fire escape, secure and stable and everything that Marinette's life is lacking. "I'll see you around", she promises before jumping and slinging through the air.

Chat smiles, his ears resting beside his temples, and pulls the woman's arm behind her back. "Á la prochaine, mademoiselle", he whispers to the night air.

. . .

"You should have told me." Tikki's sitting beside Marinette's computer mouse, tracking every twitch upon the young girl's face and how many nails she's gnawed through. Tikki's wings flutter irritably, and her tiny hands bawl into fists. "I cannot believe she broke through the plane; we had a deal and everything!"  
Marinette glances away from her computer screen. She places her hands in her lap, highlights the bit of text she'd been reading, and rubs her finger over Tikki's head. The tremors rattling her diminutive guardian's body subside; her hands flex at her sides, and her antennae lose the rigidity holding them upright.

"It's gonna be okay, Tikki. I'm not gonna let her get too close", Marinette replies, her voice low and gentle. She drops two fingers to Tikki's shoulders and gives them two light taps. "Just enough to make sure I'm doing my job right."  
Tikki ducks beneath her hand and flies to float a few centimeters from Marinette's nose. Crossing her arms, she protests, "You were doing a fine job before she showed up. And there is no right amount of proximity with her. You let her in at all, and you are doomed. She's the very reason why the Miraculous have guardians in the first place."  
Marinette tilts her head to the side. Prior to now, she'd never considered why she had a guardian; she'd always just assumed that Tikki's sole existence was to provide moral support, to make balancing Ladybug's superheroine life with their civilian life a bit more manageable. With Ladybug's sudden appearance and Tikki's revelation, she can't help but feel both curious and dreadful of Tikki's actual responsibilities as a guardian. "What does that mean?"  
"It means", Tikki starts in exasperation, a breathy emphasis on the second word. "The Personas associated with the wearer's Miraculous can manifest if the wearer is losing sight of oneself."  
"Why is that a bad thing", Marinette inquires. She lifts her feet off the ground and tucks them underneath her ass, sitting back on her haunches to stare down at Tikki. Her chair squeaks at the movement but gives little other protest. "I'll admit, she's not the easiest person to get along with, but she's kinda been helping me. She is the literal embodiment of good luck, confidence, and happiness. I'm not exactly excelling in any of those departments, so why is it bad that I'm looking to someone who is?"  
"Because she's not a 'someone', Mari." Tikki orbits her hands about each other before displaying them before Marinette. A mass of red and black pebbles appear between her tiny hands; the pebbles dance like a crumbling caterpillar, twirling and swirling and undulating between the fingers grounding them. As the movement grows more intricate, the pebbles come together to form a humanoid shape. When at last the mystical pebbles come to a still, the figure is revealed to be Ladybug, standing as tall and confident as she always does.

"Maybe it's just me", Ladybug inputs from Marinette's bed. "But I prefer the real deal to a life-model."  
"She's an idea", Tikki continues, glaring at Ladybug. "And people should never strive to be something so Abstract, no matter how glamorous the traits appear to be."

"I don't know, pink cheeks. I'm pretty glamorous."

"My cheeks are red, you one-dimensional hag."

"Guys, stop it. Tikki." Marinette makes a gesture with her hand and adjusts in her seat, her spine pressed further into the backrest. "Go on."

Tikki drops her hands, and the pebbles fall, gradually disappearing as they draw closer to the floor. "She's corrupted one other person-" Marinette scowls, and Tikki sighs. "One person since the creation of the Ladybug Miraculous; she disrupted the natural order of peace and started the Great Kwami War. Paris was nearly destroyed, and so many guardians were lost during the fighting. And then there was the absolute devastation on the human population."  
"Oh, please", Ladybug intercedes. She points a cloaked finger at Tikki in accusation, valleys of wrinkles forming between her eyebrows. "You kwamis are perfectly capable of slaughtering each other without the threat of war. And besides." She hopes off the bed and marches over to Marinette. Bending over to toss an arm over her shoulder, Ladybug smirks and says, "there's hardly any corruption needed. I bring out the best in people and decided Nanette merely needed a gentle push to reach her full potential. Where's the harm in that?"  
"You devoured that girl's personality until you were practically in possession of her body. I'd say that's corruption at it's finest."  
Marinette shakes Ladybug's arm off her shoulder. She pushes her chair away, only breathing when its back pushes against her bed; a rash explodes onto her shoulder. Upon a second glance, she finds the exposed skin to be bright red and spotted with moles. Wincing, she gulps and averts her eyes to a loose thread of string dangling from her pants leg. "Ladybug? Is this true?"  
"Yes, though I think Tikki's being a bit subjective. My job is to help my wielder become the best Ladybug possible. Nanette needed more assistance than most. As it turns out, she couldn't handle the power that came with the help." She sits in the swivel chair, her back to the computer console and legs spread as they rest against the comfortable padding of the seat. Resting her elbows on the back of the chair, Ladybug tucks her fists beneath her chin and hums. "You, on the other hand, show much potential. We've been together for but a few weeks, and I'm already seeing progress." Tikki squeaks in indignation, but a quick wave of the hand sends her to the Astral Plane. Before she disappears, Marinette receives a glimpse of the infamous plane, astounded by the small speck of red against a canvas of streaking colors and screeching voices. "Given time", Ladybug continues, seemingly unfazed. "I could really make something out of you."  
"I really wish you wouldn't send Tikki away like that", Marinette objects, raising a finger to her teeth. She pulls a nail from the finger and shakes her head. "She says the Astral Plane is...unsettling."  
"She'll be fine."  
"I know. I just don't like it."  
"It's not for your comfort; it's for your benefit", she chides as she stands from the chair. She walks towards the window and pushes open the curtains. Looking over her shoulder, she adds, "You wanna get better at this job? First step: ditch the babysitter and practice using your Charm like I told you to. Nobody ever saved the world doing exactly as they were told, and there's no reason you should either. Paris is your home, and it's your job to keep it safe, is it not?"  
"Yes, but-"  
"Then quit bellyaching and make the suit mean something." Ladybug steps onto the desk, over the console, and through the window. "I'm a legacy, Mari", she calls out before flinging away. "Don't let me die."

Marinette jumps from her bed and rushes towards the window. She tilts her head out, ignoring the fierce wind tossing her hair about her face, and watches as Ladybug gracefully withdraws her yo-yo and falls through the air. Moments before colliding with a Volkswagen Beetle, Ladybug tosses the tool once more and slings away. She lands on a billboard, grabbing the ledge with lithe fingers, and tosses herself upward. She offers Marinette a brief glance over her shoulder before scaling the neon billboard and disappearing over the top. From her bedroom window, Marinette brushes her fingers over her left earring and breathes.

"Yeah", she murmurs as she transforms. She crouches upon her window ledge for a moment, eyes clenched tight and armpits drenched in sweat, before allowing herself to fall through the air. She opens her eyes mid-fall and latches her own yo-yo onto a lamppost, giggling with uncertainty as she swings above mid-morning traffic. "Yeah, okay."

. . .

School is hell. In the literal sense, the air-conditioning's been offline since the beginning of the year, effectively ensuring a perpetual period of sweltering heat. It's especially troublesome on days such as today, when Marinette's forgone her blazer and pink pants in favor of grey joggers and a black turtleneck. Excluding the overbearing heat, it's an odd attire; an ensemble she tends to reserve for home, it's quick to catch the eyes of her fellow classmates. Chloé giggles behind her hand as they pass each other in the hall, giving Marinette an indiscreet shove and causing her to tumble to the ground. As Marinette crouches to retrieve the supplies she dropped, Chloé bends down to whisper into her ear, "Freak" before strolling away. Marinette's hands tremble as they pull her books into her arms, and her breathing turns ragged. She feels even hotter than before, the turtleneck serving more as a lethal collar than a comforting sweater.

"'Freak'?" Ladybug stomps her feet and growls. "Are you going to let her get away with that? We're the strongest, fastest, smartest, and arguably the most popular girl in the city, and she has the gall to not only insult us but to also threaten us? Are you serious?"

"Let it go", Marinette murmurs. "This happens all the time. I can handle this."

"But-"  
"Hey, Marinette."

She looks up from the floor and drops her belongings once more. Sitting back on her thighs, she watches as Adrien breaks from corridor traffic and pauses before her. He's facing her, but his eyes seldom meet hers for more than a few seconds. After a moment of neither saying anything, he joins Marinette on the floor and takes a few books into his arms.

"Oh, um, that's okay. You really don't have to-"  
"No, no, I want to. This is kind of a big pile. Ugh." Adrien stands and scans the halls. "By any chance, is your locker in this hall?"  
Marinette gathers the remaining books, folders, and pencil pouch and stands. Shifting the stack into the crease of one arm, she uses her free hand to brush a stray strand of hair out of her eye and gulps. "No, it's in the West Wing."  
"Right." He readjusts the books and nods forward. "Well, let's, uh, let's go."  
Marinette flushes. Her copy of Madame Bovary nearly topples from her arms; she places a palm on the cover to steady it and smiles into her chest. "O-Okay." The halls have mostly cleared by the time they round the corner of the extensive hallway; the sound of their feet slamming against the floor echo in Marinette's ears, as does her uneven breathing. She's intensely aware of every movement, of every sensation, and strives to ensure that each is perfect. To her astonishment, as they grow nearer to her locker, she finds the act requiring less force, becoming more at ease with Adrien's presence by her side.

"I, uh, really appreciate the help", Marinette offers with a slight tilt of the head.

Adrien smiles; the muscles in his face lose their rigidity, and something behind his eyes peels away, allowing the light to burst through and shine upon Marinette. It's warm. "And I appreciate you letting me help." His eyes dart away, and he makes a noise in his throat. "That sounded weird, didn't it?"

"No, not at all." A hall monitor with a red sash jogs down the staircase ahead. Her steps falter as she catches sight of Marinette and Adrien; she raises her wrist to her face and glares at what she finds. Her pace quickens to a light sprint, and Marinette groans.

"Don't worry, it's gonna be fine", Adrien assures. When the girl pauses before them, clipboard and hand and chest expanded to brandish the golden crest upon her sash, her eyes zero in on Marinette.

"Hi", Marinette squeaks. Something scratches her ankles, prompting her to shuffle her feet insistently. The girl draws closer, pulls the ballpoint pen from behind her ear, and makes a note on her clipboard.

"You guys do realize you're roaming the halls three minutes past the bell for class", she reprimands as she scribbles furiously on a slip of paper.

"Yeah, we were just going to make a stop at Marinette's locker", Adrien explains. "She's kind of got a lot of stuff to carry and-' He extends a hand, shaking some hair over his eyes. "I'd better start over. I'm, uh, I'm Adrien. And this." He nods to his left. "Is Marinette."  
"Yeah, I got that." She accepts his hand with apprehension but nonetheless eases in her disposition. "I'm Abril. Nice to meet you."  
The scratching returns, like a furious tendril of fire biting at her skin. She bristles, the fingers of an agitated ghost flexing beneath her skin, and presses her shoulder against Adrien's. Adrien stumbles over the words he's saying and casts a confused glance at Marinette. Marinette blushes, shuffles her feet, and says, "I, uh, think I can make it from here."

"Oh." His nose twitches, and his shoulders slump. "Are you sure", he asks, passing Marinette her books.  
"Mm-hm. I've got Algebra next, and I need to make sure I'm not missing anything. But it was really nice walking with you."  
"Yeah, yeah, totally. Maybe we can do it again sometime."  
"Yeah, maybe. I'll, uh, see you later." She nods to Abril and turns away. Just as she takes her first step, though, a sharp ringing sounds in her ear, and the blood vessels in her eyes bleed to melt into the whites. Her feet become laden with an invisible weight, and she's compelled to turn back. Adrien raises his eyebrows but says nothing as Marinette steps between him and Abril.

"Hey."  
"Hi."

"It's six minutes now."  
"Do you-do you have a phone?"  
Adrien's fingers fumble with the straps of his backpack. "Yes."  
"Okay. Cool. Can I get your number?"  
"Yeah, sure." He watches Marinette pull her own phone from her purse; when she glances up, he recites in an airy voice, "33635124." He digs into his pants for his phone, scrolls his fingers over the screen, then asks, "And yours?"  
"33653257." Marinette presses a button and turns off her phone. Then, tossing a displeased glare to Abril, she says, "Okay, I'd really better get going now. I have Bustier, and I'd hate to miss her class."

Adrien chuckles. "I hear you. She does not kid around when it comes to tardies. I'll see you later. Uh, again."  
"Bye. Again." Marinette places her hand on his shoulder and speed-walks away. It's only minutes later, when she's covered three hallways worth of walking and stopped to clumsily open her locker does she allow herself to smile. And it's only after tossing in the binder from her last class and slamming her locker door shut does she notice Ladybug leaning against the locker beside her.

"That was all me, hun", she admits with a coy shrug. "Keep with me and I'll show you all kinds of cool shit."

Needless to say, they never do make it to Bustier's class.


	4. Oh, Marinette, What a Fine Flower You're Blossoming Into

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug proves to be helpful in more ways than expected.

Group projects have always been dreadful; if not for the discomfort that arises from being surrounded by people she doesn't know how to talk to, then for the fact that only a handful of students actually contribute to the assignment. In this project, said students include Juleka, Alya, and Marinette. The others include Chloé and Sabrina, who take two of the three laptops provided to watch makeup tutorials on YouTube. In turn, Juleka and Alya take the remaining laptop and begin researching drama skits. Marinette sits between the two dyads, toes furiously tapping against the floor, and drags the tip of her pencil against her paper.

"Well, this is pathetic." Ladybug materializes beside Marinette, eyes full of disdain as they scan the room. "I never did understand why you humans are so insistent on sending your young to these places. They're nothing but breeding grounds for hormones and misery", she muses, reaching out to pull a curl from Marinette's bun. It falls between Marinette's eyes, loose and careless, and tickles her pores.

Marinette brushes the curl away; huffing in annoyance when it falls back into place, she tightens her grip on her pencil and scribbles, "Go away."  
Ladybug places her hand over her heart and pouts. "I'm only here to help, my sweet Mari", she explains, her voice thick with faux sincerity. "I thought you knew that by now."  
"I don't need help", Marinette writes, the letters dark and blocky by the pressure of her hand. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."  
"Right." Ladybug drapes herself over Marinette's back, catching the eye of her team when the movement propels Marinette against her desk. "Because sitting on your ass and hoping your teammates will notice you at some point is totally helpful." She leans further, smirking when Marinette growls in resistance, and snickers. "Let's face it, honey, I think I need to take over for a bit."  
Marinette wipes her hand over her mouth and mutters, "Not gonna happen."  
"You let me help whenever you talk to Adrien."  
She reaches for her pencil again and scribbles, "That's different. That's my social life; this is work. Kind of."  
"Uh huh. And what is it, exactly, when you need help mastering your Miraculous?"

Her fingers fumble with her pencil. It slips and drops onto her desk before bouncing onto the floor. Once again, her team glances over at her, only this time, they don't look away.

"Hey, uh, Marinette", Alya starts. Her fingers still on her keyboard, and she smiles. "We're having a hard time finding skits. Do you think you could get us another laptop from the Computer Lab? It'd really be a big help."  
Chloé mutters something, Sabrina titters, and Ladybug clenches her fists. Before she can fully evaluate the situation, Marinette rises in her seat.

"Sure", she mumbles, turning to walk towards the door. When she hears it slam behind her, she grabs Ladybug by the wrist and hisses, "I know what I'm doing."  
"Oh, yeah, I've no doubt of that", Ladybug says with an eye roll. "I just wanna make sure you understand what you're doing. I'll work with you, Mari, but only if you go all the way. I want to help you because Lord knows you need it. But we're not half-assing this. Understood?"

"Yes." She crosses the hallway and enters the Computer Lab. Heads swivel upon her entrance, and Marinette pauses, cheeks tinting red and breathing coming to a halt. Ladybug smiles, pushes her forward, then starts for the end of the room. Marinette follows after, scooting between a row of tables, and stops before the cart of laptops lining the walls. Crouching to retrieve a laptop from the cart, she murmurs, "But can we keep the public discussions to a minimum?" She pulls the charger from a laptop and frowns, taking note of the red light along the side. Looking back up, she finds those that remain have similar lights and the other slots to be empty. She lets her laptop rest in her lap and sighs. "People think I'm weird enough as it is", Marinette continues in a subdued voice. "The last thing I need is them thinking I'm talking to myself."  
Ladybug growls. She drops to the floor in front of her, pushes herself through Marinette's bubble, and presses her lips to the outsides of her ear. "What the hell does it matter what they think", she hisses. "They are beneath you. They are weak, and they are selfish, and they are foolish. Their silly opinions do not matter. You are Ladybug. You are the best thing this damn city has to offer, and they dare think to ridicule you?"

Marinette stares down at her. She leans back and takes a jagged breath. "I'm really not that...good."  
"Oh, but you are. You are. Just keep letting me in. I'll show you things you never even considered to be true. I'll make you see just what you can be when you've got the right kind of firepower." Ladybug nips at her ear and titters. "Then we'll see just how clever those bitches think they are."  
"What-what does that mean?"  
"It means you've heard enough." Tikki zips from behind Ladybug, pauses to tap her on the nose, and flies towards Marinette. Behind her, Ladybug's shoulders draw upward, and her skin flushes red. But she doesn't say anything.

"Mari", Tikki starts.

"I'm handling it", Marinette insists, making sure to keep her voice lowered. "We've been at this for weeks, and I'm not tempted to go conquering the city or anything."  
"You don't get it. This is exactly how the Great Kwami War got started."  
Ladybug hops from the floor and walks over to a table. She leans against it, cranes her neck to the ceiling, and sniffles. "It hurts that you'd bring up such a horrid time", she laments, eyelashes batting. "Especially when you know I was clearly the victim in that situation. I was in no way in control of giving the little spitfire the power she wanted."  
"You were the victim", Tikki squeals in incredulity. The other students remain focused on their computer screens and their conversations with friends. It's almost odd, how they can be so close and so unaware of the chaos occurring not even five feet away from them. "You corrupted-"  
"Yes, yes, but because she wanted me to. I told you, bug, I only bring out the shit people try to hide from themselves. I can only help in ways the wielder wants to be helped. Nanette wanted to be in control. And that's what she got."  
"Oh, drop the pity act", she chides. "Nanette may not have been the wisest nor the most moral of the Ladybugs, but she never wanted to take Paris. That was all your doing." She turns to Marinette then, flying up to her face and placing her small hands on her cheeks. "Marinette", she pleads, voice wavering. "Please. Listen to me."  
"I am listening", Marinette says. Upon receiving a disappointed stare from Tikki, she retreats into her brain to find a way to reassure her. Before she can find anything useful, though, she's interrupted by the pounding of feet on the floor. Tikki scowls, dips from Marinette's view, and flies into her purse to nestle between her phone and her notepad. Ladybug waves, inhales deeply, and smiles before evaporating into a puff of purple and red dust. When the cloud fades, Alya and Juleka storm through the aisles and towards Marinette.

"We were starting to get worried", Juleka murmurs as she helps her from the floor. "You were gone for so long and-"  
"We weren't sure what happened", Alya finishes. She glances at where Marinette had been sitting and frowns. "What did happen?"  
"Nothing, nothin." She grips her purse strap tautly and sighs. "I just, uh, tripped. But I'm fine now."  
"You sure", Alya asks, her expression skeptical. "Cause we can get you to a nurse if you need one."  
"No, that won't be necessary." She offers a half-hearted smile and says, "After all, we've got a skit to put on, right? There's still time, isn't there?"  
Juleka returns her smile and nods, saying, "Yeah. We've got another thirty minutes before presentations start. It's not a lot of time, but it's enough."  
Alya grabs her and Marinette's hands and begins leading them toward the door. "Then what are we waiting for", she chuckles.

Marinette allows herself to be lead away. But before the door can slam behind them, she tosses a glance over her shoulder and looks towards the computer cart. Ladybug's still gone, but even from here, Marinette can make out the faint smudge of red and purple on the table where she once sat.

Then the door closes, and she's too focused on their approaching skit to give it another thought.

. . .

"You're too tense." Ladybug juts her hip out and stretches her arms into a relaxed T. They then lift above her head and curl into a rudimentary helix. Eyes closed, she lowers into a squat and sighs. "It's all about flexibility", she explains. "You've got to think of your body as an extension of your soul. Stop thinking, stop feeling, and just let go. Once you've done that." She unwinds herself, stretches her head to the open sky above her, and launches into the air, twisting and spinning until she meets the ground once more; spandex fingers meet the crumbly foundation of the roof before her feet land firmly on the ground and she stands upright. Ladybug tosses her hair over her shoulder and leans on her toes. "The rest comes naturally."  
She stares at Ladybug. When all she gets is an impatient wave of the hand, Marinette rolls back her shoulders and wiggles her toes. She exhales, rotates her wrists, and widens her stance. Ladybug turns up her nose and stalks closer.

"Relax", she advises, arms wrapping around Marinette's waist. She pulls Marinette's palms close to rest against her stomach. "Feel that? The in and out of your breathing?" Ladybug takes the palms and rests them on her own stomach, watching as Marinette's eye twitches in response. "And that? The ebb and flow of the energy? You can predict what's gonna happen, but it's natural, it's not forced; that's how you've got to be. Know what your plan of attack is gonna be but be willing to deviate from the original plan." Ladybug withdraws her hands and takes a few steps back. Behind her, the sun is setting on the city of Paris. The cries of the emerging nightlife ring from below and greet Marinette with a familiarity. It's been too long.

Ladybug hummed, nodding as Marinette pushes her hands through the air in akin to swimming. Marinette lowers until her knees touch the ground, then rolls onto her back to spread her limbs into a star. Above her, Ladybug raises an eyebrow and considers her. Then, with a sharp grunt, she sprints towards Marinette and leaps into the air, leg pointed towards Marinette's head as she approaches the earth. Before any damage can be done, Marinette launches into a kip up and rolls away, blinking rapidly and panting in broken breaths.

"What the hell", she calls out in indignation. "You could have broken my face!"  
"That was kind of the point, princess." Ladybug storms towards Marinette and jumps once more, tossing a kick through the air. Marinette deflects, grabbing the leg and pushing it away; she ducks as Ladybug throws three quick punches. The last in the series catches her in the stomach and sends her tumbling backward. Ladybug smirks and eases forward, hips swaying as she opens her hands and folds them towards herself. "Fight me."  
"Don't you think this is a little excessive?"  
"No, this is exactly what you need." She pounces and tackles Marinette, pinning her to the ground before pulling back a fist. "You think you are special", Ladybug sneers as she prepares to punch her. Marinette jerks her head to the right to avoid the assault, then to the left. Then she moves backward as Ladybug delivers a blow to her nose. "You think that just because you knock out a few goons. Ladybug grabs Marinette by the collar and pulls her close. "And a few akumatized civilians every few days, you think that makes you somebody? Most of those oafs have never even been in a fight before, which makes them nothing. And a victor is measured by their greatest opponents, which makes you nothing." She digs her knee into Marinette's stomach and grins at the shout it produces.

"I am not nothing", Marinette spits, thrusting her feet into Ladybug's own stomach and kicking her back several yards. Ladybug stumbles before regaining her footing, leaning on an arch with one hand clenched and the other supporting her weight. She rushes forward, hopping over a clothing line, and lands on Marinette's back, legs wrapping around her waist as she pulls Marinette's arms behind her.

"Then prove it", Ladybug challenges, her voice full of manic glee. "Fight me."  
Marinette drops to the ground and rolls onto her back. Before Ladybug can squirm away, she grabs her by the throat and pushes her head into the ground. Ladybug pauses in all movements and stares up at Marinette.

"This isn't fighting."  
Marinette tightens her grip on her neck. "It is if I say it is."

"Hm." She disappears from underneath Marinette, materializing a moment later on the edge of the roof. "I think that's enough training for today."

"You called Uncle", Marinette notes. She crawls to her feet and extends her neck. "That's not fair."  
"It is if I say it is. Besides, I think we just hit a crucial moment in your training. Might be best to let you...marinate for a bit."  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
Ladybug winks. Then, taking a moment to observe the rising moon, she tosses her legs over the edge and falls. Marinette doesn't check to see if she's okay. She just taps her earrings, transforms, and jumps into her nightly patrol, her veins electrified and her blood vibrating.


	5. What It Means to Be a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has an altercation at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, we're at the halfway mark! I hope you guys are enjoying the story but let me know what you're thinking. Kudos, comments, bookmarks, whatever. Tell me what you think cause I'd love to hear it.

Physical Education, strange as it may be, becomes something of an obsession. Most of her time outside of school is spent training with Ladybug, much to the dismay Tikki's. When Marinette attends school, she's thrumming with unexpended energy, feet tapping, teeth gnashing, and eyes always awaiting the moment to deviate from the blackboard and to her watch. Taking notes on MLA format and how to operate a graphing calculator seems trivial in comparison to the brutal sparring session she could be having with Ladybug. So it's no surprise that the class that Marinette had once despised quickly becomes the one she most anticipates.

"You guys are gonna practice kickboxing", Ladybug notes as Marinette changes in the locker room.

"I know", Marinette replies, shrugging a white t-shirt over her head. She pulls her hair back into a ponytail and sighs. "I have ears."  
"I wasn't finished. You're gonna be kickboxing, so you know what that means, right?"  
"Training's cut in half after school?"  
"No, idiot." Ladybug hops onto the porcelain sink and dangles a foot over the faucet; she watches in amusement as water automatically gushes from the tap and soaks her foot. Eyes still focused on the violent stream, she says, "It means it's time to show these simpletons who's actually running this school."  
Marinette frowns. "Well, that's not the point", she argues as she kicks her foot up onto the counter. She pulls apart her shoelaces, watching in with a smirk as the knot comes undone with relative ease, and moves to tie them once again. "The point is to help people, not to hurt them."  
"Yes, yes, yes, of course." She rolls onto her knees and shoves her hands underneath the water. "But there must be an exception for those who deserve it."  
"No one deserves to be hurt, Lady."  
"Hey, Marinette!"  
Marinette looks up from her shoe and finds Chloé pointing her phone at her, snickering as a cluster of girls crowd behind her. "If you're done talking to yourself, D'Argencourt wants us outside."

She flushes and lets her foot fall to the ground. "Yeah, uh, right. Thanks."  
Chloé turns to walk towards the exit. Before she leaves, she mumbles, "I told you guys she was talking to herself." When the door slams shut, Marinette whips her head around to Ladybug. But all she finds is her own scowling reflection staring back at her.

"Damn it", she curses, slamming her hands against the countertop. She turns around and marches towards the doors. She pushes through them, squinting as the light from the gymnasium assaults her eyes. Even before they've finished adjusting, Marinette catches sight of Chloé and her cronies stretching near the staircase. They appear to notice her at the same time as she does, for they quickly turn away and resume inspecting one another's hair.

"Wretched bitches", Ladybug jeers, scratching her nails against Marinette's neck. Marinette swats at her and speedwalks past the ropes. Here, D'Argencourt stands erect, hands firmly placed atop his sabre. He nods as Marinette's passes him before returning to the group of students he'd been addressing; one of them is Adrien, clad in fencing shoes and a white nylon suit. He waves his own sabre, cheeks tinted pink; Marinette waves back and scurries away, joining the girls near the stairs before she can trip over her shoelaces.

"Hello, Marinette", Sabrina greets as she nudges Marinette's sneaker with her toe. "Make any new friends you wanna tell us about?"  
Marinette pulls her sweatshirt tighter around her. As usual, it's too hot for the clothing, but the privacy it provides is worth the sweat stains that'll surely draw ridicule. "No, not really", she says into her shoulder.

Ladybug slaps her across the back. "Say it with your chest!"

"Oh, come on." Chloé crawls to her feet. She glances over her shoulder to make sure D'Argencourt isn't watching, then turns back to Marinette. Marinette eases back as Chloé creeps closer, only stopping when her back presses against the base of the staircase. Blood rushes to her ears and pulses between her ears, thick and loud and demanding of...

Something.

"You think you're too good for us, don't you", Chloé questions. Sabrina, Lacey, and Moselle crowd around her, each mimicking Chloe's folded arms and pouty lips.

"N-No, I don't", Marinette refutes, shaking her head. "I'm not better than anybody; I'm nobody."  
"Damn, Mari", Ladybug chides. "I thought we were getting somewhere."  
"I see those glares you give us", Chloé continues. "You hate us. I can't imagine why, though. We've never done anything to you." She steps closer; Marinette slides along the wall, and Chloé follows, both resisting the other until they've fallen out of D'Argencourt's sight underneath the staircase. "Nothing you haven't deserved anyway", Chloé admits with a careless shrug. She looks back at the group and grins. "It's been a while since we've had a little fun with little Mari, hasn't it, girls?"

"Yeah, like, six months at least", Sabrina offers. She steps forward and falls in line beside Chloé. Hand perched on her hip, she says, "What are you thinking? A little whirlpool action?"

Chloé turns to Marinette. "Damn, it's been some years since you had one of them, hasn't it?"

Marinette digs her nails into the wall behind her. The paint chips underneath her nails and peels away, gliding through the air in flakes of blue. Above them, Ladybug dangles from the baluster, arms beside her ears as she giggles maniacally. Marinette closes her eyes and presses herself further into the wall. But she can't get away, and Chloé's getting too close, and D'Argencourt's not paying attention, and Ladybug will not shut the fuck up.

"My my my, Mari, aren't you an impish little thing?"  
"Hey!" Chloé snatches her by the pigtails. "I was talking to you." Her eyes narrow, and she digs her nails into Marinette's shoulder. "Or is your imaginary friend that much cooler than me?"

Marinette flares her nostrils. Her eyes drift to the fingers digging into her flash. Images flash behind her eyes, of a younger Marinette curled on a tiled floor, blood flowing from her nose and cries spilling from her lips; of a smaller Marinette, clinging to the jungle gym in the biting rain as high-pitched taunts flew from below; of a weaker Marinette, hiding in the supply closet, hands clasped around her ears as tiny feet slammed against the door and asked, "What's wrong, Mari? Don't you wanna play Slay the Dragon?"

"Ain't you tired of getting your ass kicked", Ladybug asks, her tone dry and lifeless. "Don't you think it's time someone put these skanks in their place?" She drops from the baluster and lands beside Marinette. She takes the shoulder that hasn't gone numb yet and pulls it towards her. "You're supposed to represent me, little Mari. It's time to represent."

Moselle steps forward and asks, "What's a whirlpool?"  
Chloé raises her eyebrows. "That's right. You weren't here for middle school." She pulls Marinette off the wall and moves behind her. Lacey and Moselle stand in front, the final piece of the triangle falling into place. Sabrina retrieves a water bottle from her handbag and walks towards the stairway. She scales the sides, clinging to the railing, and branches her arm out over the cluster of girls.

"Come on, guys,", Marinette pleads as each points their palms at her. Moselle's movements are slow and ambivalent, but her eyes are bright and fervid. Chloé stands at the tip of the triangle, an imperious smirk defining her face. She winks, and Sabrina gives her water bottle a gentle squeeze, dotting Marinette's hair with sprinkles of water. Marinette steps back but is stopped upon colliding with Lacey's burly frame. "We're getting too old for this", Marinette says, stumbling over her feet into the center of the triangle. "Can't we just leave each other alone?"  
Chloé smirks. "Well, we could. But where's the fun in that?" Then, craning her head up, she calls, "Now, Brin!"

Sabrina chuckles and clenches her fingers around her bottle, pointing it towards Marinette as the whirlpool begins stirring. Chloé gives Marinette a rough shove into Moselle, who then pushes her towards Lacey. Every so often, a fist will extend from one of the girls and land on her stomach, forcing her into another girls hands. The laughter never relents, even after Marinette's begun to whimper. It's something she's come to expect after years of tormenting, but it's a distinguishably buoyant laugh that makes her cries halt; tracing the source of the laughter reveals it to not belong to Moselle but rather Ladybug, who's standing on the outside of the triangle. Her eyes are red and calm, like the blood-tainted waters of an island of shipwrecked sailors. She says nothing, amused trills still expelling from her lips, and yet she seems to be yelling at Marinette all the same. As a fist collides with Marinette's nose, she thinks of the mask, she thinks of the yo-yo, she thinks of the suit, and she thinks of Ladybug and what it all means to be a hero. The pushing ceases; the water trickles into nothing, and she crumbles to the ground. Somebody presses their foot onto her back. Ladybug's words slam into her, pleading and jagged with anguish: I'm a legacy, Mari. Don't let me die.

And she fights.

Marinette hops to her feet and grabs Moselle by the arm. Before the girl can appreciate the swift movement, Marinette places her hands on Moselle's shoulders, snatches her arm back, and tosses her to the ground. She hits the ground with a shrill cry and shifts onto her side, cradling her uninjured arm with dismayed eyes. Sabrina looks up from Moselle and begins to say something when Marinette punches her in the nose. She stumbles backward, her cries mingling with those of Moselle's. Lacey and Chloé exchange a glance and turn to escape. Marinette snarls and dashes across the squeaky floor, her face red and puffy from tears and the strain of years of pent-up frustration.

Ladybug watches, sitting in a split, and giggles. Pressing her chin into her open palm, she sighs fondly and says, "There's my girl. Terrorizing civilians." She smirks down at Tikki, who watches the sight with unconcealed nausea. "They learn so fast, don't they", Ladybug gushes as Marinette tosses Lacey into the basketball cart and shoves Chloe's face into the ground.

"Not as fun on this end, is it", Marinette taunts. A hand latches onto her shoulder and pulls her away. The four girls lie on the ground, groaning and cursing at Marinette. The rest of the class stares, backs pressed into the corner farthest from the scene. Amongst the fearful, revolted faces rests Adrien's; the fear is absent, as is the disgust. In its place instead rests a candid confusion.

As she's escorted out of the gym, empty words being screamed into her ears, she can't help but wonder marvel at the power pulsing through her. And, for the first time, Marinette all but vanishes, threads of red and black taking mold before withdrawing.

. . .

"They gave me four weeks suspension", Marinette states, fingers clenched around the strap of her purse. She feels sluggish, like her veins have been injected with gravy and her brain's been shaken like a snow globe. She fingers the zipper along the siding and continues along the path that extends from the back entrance of Françoise Dupont.

Ladybug shrugs; her footsteps are light and controlled, carefully placed to match Marinette's in every aspect, and she's constructed her face to mirror the feeling that's vacated Marinette's body. "Doesn't matter", she consoles, bumping their shoulders together. "It just gives your more time to train. Besides, everybody in that place sucks."  
"Not everybody", Marinette murmurs. "Just those four. Everyone else is nice."  
"So far as you know. When your back's turned, when you're not in the room, you know they're all probably talking shit about you. Those girls, Alix and Juleka; they don't like you. And don't even get me started on Adrien." A house martin glides from a nearby tree branch and pauses on the stretch of sidewalk before the two. It tilts its head, baring its plump, white breast, and chips inquisitively at them.

"Adrien was there, and he didn't help you", Ladybug continues. "No one did. They let them hurt you."  
"They couldn't have known."  
"They've always known. They just don't care."

With nimble legs skittering about in a circle, the house martin breaks into a cheerful tune, joyous and lively in the early hours of a sunny Parisian afternoon. Then, as Marinette resumes her pace, it lets out a startled tweet, hops into the air, and takes flight; jet-black wings dart past Marinette's face as the path breaks way to the sidewalk. Even so, the most she can do is blink before her attention drifts towards the ground. Eyes centered unsteadily on a shiny blob of spit, she muses, "You're wrong. But you did help me. And you haven't done anything evilly."

"So?"  
"So I guess it'd be okay for you to stick around." She brushes her hands through her hair, eyebrows jumping skyward when she finds her pigtails to be missing; her hair lies against her shoulders, undisturbed and unconfined. It's nice. She looks up at Ladybug and says, "You help me even when I can't help myself. And you make me feel important." She looks at Ladybug. "I like feeling important."

Ladybug smiles. She pulls Marinette close, presses her lips against her cheek, and whispers, "That's my girl" before pulling out her yo-yo and flinging it after the house martin. The bird squawks at the Persona's sudden appearance, prompting Ladybug to cackle and chase after the bird without respite.

Marinette watches with detached amusement. Her fingers are creeping to her earrings when a small weight falls upon her shoulders. Tikki glares up at her, arms folded over her tiny chest.

"I'm handling it", Marinette reassures, scooping her into her purse. "Trust me." Taking a moment to scan the area, she then presses her fingers into her earrings and transforms. The suit, cool and fitting, brushes off some of the fog cloaking her and provides a renewed force of energy. She gives her surroundings one last look, tightens the strap of her purse, then tosses her yo-yo on the gutter lining the school roof.

"Four weeks off", she notes as her feet land beside a generator. She stretches her arms above her head and smirks. "This could actually be a good thing."


	6. Decisions, Decisions: Red or White Flag?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien and Ladybug (Marinette's Ladybug) and Chat have a nice little talk.

Marinette's sitting at her desk, watching cat videos on YouTube, when a white flag pops onto the center of her screen and steals her attention. She taps her forefinger against the mouse, freezing the startled kitten, before turning her focus to the flag. Shivers rattle her body, and the hairs on her arms stand erect, fragile yet determined as the perceived threat looms in front of her; it's a video request from Adrien.

"Don't answer that", Ladybug advises, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

Marinette makes a swatting motion, then straightens her spine. She checks her shirt for odd stains, primps her hair, and wipes a hand over her face. When she's certain her appearance is pleasant enough, she presses her finger against the right button. Adrien's face floods the screen, expansive and worried. He must notice how close he is to the camera, for barely a second passes before he flushes red and draws back.

"Sorry", he murmurs as he scoots back in his chair.

"It's fine", Marinette replies, a feeble smile marring her features.

Adrien smiles back and, toying with a loose thread on his black nightshirt, stares, his eyes carrying the same confusion earlier. "Are you okay", he asks quietly.

"Sign off", Ladybug says. She rolls onto her back and kicks her feet into the air. Swinging them back and forward, she adds, "It's almost time for work. Besides, he doesn't really wanna talk to you. He may not hate you like the others, but that doesn't mean he likes you. He probably just wants something."  
"I'm fine", Marinette mumbles; she drops her hands into her lap and turns to stare out the window above her desk. It's getting dark out, the beginnings of nightlife sprouting as lights flicker on and people take to the sites. It's nearing eight o'clock, and her body is restless, each cell thrumming like a newly constructed battery; her fingers tap impatiently against the surface of her desk, and her teeth worry at her lower lip.

Adrien tracks the jittery movement and leans closer to his screen. He starts to say something, then, seemingly thinking better of it, allows his mouth to close and frowns. He's silent for a moment, watching Marinette's unfocused eyes; then, with carefully crafted words, he asks, "You, uh, not in the mood for talking?"  
Marinette closes her eyes. Ladybug rolls off the bed and strolls over, leaning over her shoulder and pressing her nails into her neck. "No, not really."  
"Okay. Do you wanna be alone?"  
"No."  
Adrien nods. He exhales, wiping his palms against the thighs of his pants, and gulps. "All right, all right", he murmurs. Keeping his voice soft and approachable, he says, "I'm just gonna talk at you. If that's cool."

Ladybug's face crinkles, lines sprouting and disrupting the smooth skin. She steps around the seat and crawls into the seat, situating herself in Marinette's lap. "Yeah, that's fine."  
"Something must be wrong with my screen", he notes; he grabs his computer by the sides and gives it a brief yet aggressive shake. "It looks like a cloud just passed over your room."

"The weatherman called for an overcast night. The clouds must be showing through my windows."  
"Right. Right, of course. Okay, uh, talking." Clearing his throat and sinking into the back of his computer seat, Adrien tugs his legs underneath himself and smiles; the expression is uncertain yet eager at the same time. "So there's this new movie coming out in a few months, Alita: Battle Angel; it's based on this badass manga from the nineties and..."

. . .

Later that night, she falls asleep with Ladybug pressed against her back. And perhaps it should frighten her how much comfort she takes from the position. But it doesn't. Excluding Tikki, she hasn't had been physical contact this personal in weeks; Astral being or not, the proximity is nice. And so, ignoring the archaic whispers from her subsconscious, she turns and wraps her arms around Ladybug's neck, prompting the Persona to smirk and wrap her own around Marinette's waist. Together, as two united beings, they sleep.

And they plot.

. . .

Chat is silent throughout patrol. It's not necessarily discomforting (she's far too busy relishing in the thrill of being Ladybug to really care), but it's noticeable. As are the frequent worry-ridden stares he keeps sending her but she chooses to ignore them in favor of focusing on the task at hand. Beneath the ailing, doleful Gargoyles stretching over the cathedral of the Notre Dame de Paris is a crowd of Parisians, enthralled by the neon purple waves pulsing over them. At the foot of the cathedral stands an akumatized civilian, dressed in puffy yellow pants and holding a boombox over her shoulder.

An annoyed growl rumbles in Chat's chest at the sight, and he leans close, neck extending over the edge. Marinette presses a hand against his chest, a faint blush peppering her cheeks, and shakes her head. She raises a finger between her lips, then nods to one of the gargoyles. The rumbling stops, and his face turns solemn. He clenches her shoulder before hopping from one stone statue to the next.

"You know what to do", Ladybug reminds her. Marinette nods, wrapping a yo-yo around the neck of a gargoyle, and swings to the ground. The crowd remains transfixed on the music pouring from the boombox, but the victim turns around upon hearing her landing. When she finds Marinette standing behind her, she smirks and skips over to her.

"Ah, Miss Ladybug", she greets. "Nice of you to show. I am Boom, keeper of the finest tunes in Paris and-"  
"Yeah, save the monologue", Marinette cuts in, jutting an impatient hand out in front of her. "Let the people go before I have to hurt you. I won't ask again."

Boom pouts, and her arms dangle beside her in disappointment. "Well, gee, I was expecting something a little more, you know, exciting. Where's your partner? I hear he's a riot."  
"He couldn't make it." She snatches her yo-yo from the gargoyle and twirls it above her head. "Guess you're stuck with me."

"It would appear so." She leaps toward Marinette, her boombox levitating in her place, and opens her hands; boundless treble clefs and beam notes erupt from her palms and fly towards Marinette. Marinette ducks and jumps over Boom and her notes with ease, raising her own palms to fire beams of sparkling red. They race after the musical notes, zipping past Boom's startled face, and move to strangle them into submission. A few stray tendrils of velvet remain beside Marinette, nestling through her hair and wafting in a tranquil dance.

"I don't know what your plan is", Marinette says. "But it's over now. I can help but only if you cooperate." Behind Boom, Chat creeps through the crowd; he stares at Marinette, eyebrows furrowed and eyes drawn into wary slits. As he draws nearer, Marinette's energy streams begin to pulse quicker and grow thicker. Ladybug circles her, her face calm and purposefully devoid of expression. Her eyes flick to Chat, then to Boom, then back to Marinette. Then, without further explanation, she evaporates.

"I'll not cooperate with anyone", Boom is saying. She swipes her hands through the air, and more notes appear. Before they can move to attack, Marinette growls and launches off the balls of her feet. She lands just a few inches before Boom and, before the victim can let out a flustered protest, she grabs her by the throat and tosses her over the crowd. Boom lands in the window of a flower shop, groaning as an assorted mess of daffodils and tulips fall over her head. The mesmerized crowd breaks from its spell and unanimously crashes to the ground, a cluster of limp limbs and pale faces. Chat leaps over the pile, mindful enough not to step on anyone, and makes his way towards her. After the energy fades, Marinette joins him, her strides slow and controlled. Chat turns to face her, his own movements stifled, and blinks.

"She wasn't going to stop", she defends with a glare. "What was I supposed to do?"  
Chat scoffs and shakes his head. "I don't know, maybe find the object that got her akumatized? You know, like we always do? Or have you forgotten that in all your free time lately?"  
"We are not discussing this, Chat." Marinette glances down at Boom and watches as the victim reverts to her original form, a frightened girl dressed in purple pajamas and bunny slippers. "See", she says, gesturing to her. "It worked; she's back to normal. All's well."  
"All is not well, and we are not done discussing this." Chat scoops the girl into his arms and rises to his feet. "Don't think I don't know that you've been using your Miraculous during the day; and after our shifts end as well. You're misusing your Miraculous, and you know what that can do to you." The girl whimpers and draws closer to his chest. He closes his eyes and sighs. "Not to mention those around you."  
"I know what I'm doing", Marinette insists, her voice thick with frustration.

"Do you? Because we're supposed to be protecting citizens, and this is not what that looks like!"

"Okay, maybe not. But she wasn't a citizen a moment ago, now, was she? Our job is to keep Paris safe, and, sometimes, that means taking a few people out. "

Fangs descend from Chat's mouth, and his grip around the girl tightens. "You could have killed her, Lady!"  
"That was the point!"  
"We were chosen to save people, even the ones unfortunate enough to have caught Hawk Mouth's attention." The crowd in front of them begins to stir. Behind them, a piercing alarm blares from the flower shop. Police sirens sound from a few blocks away, and both Chat and Marinette's watches beep. Chat's tail swipes over the watch, and he says, "We don't just 'take them out' to make things easier. This is the job. We either do it right, or we don't do it all. And we most certainly won't do it together."  
Marinette takes a step back. She watches the growing chaos around her and frowns. Ambivalence arises within her, and her head begins to ache. Her energy streams fade to a red mist; before it grows to be too much, she grabs her yo-yo and flees without a second glance. Within seconds, she's flown over the cathedral and disappeared into the night, leaving a distraught crowd, an unconscious girl, and a perturbed cat in her wake.

Chat stands with the girl in his arms and whines. Above him, the gargoyles explode, spraying gallons of water and chunks of stone upon those below. He pulls the girl even closer and buries his head into her hair. His tail dangles between his legs. "Oh, Lady".

. . .

Later that night, they crawl through the opening in Marinette's window and into her room. It seems smaller, too bright, and unbearably human. Marinette shivers at the thought and crosses the floor to her mirror. Ladybug exhales against the back of her neck and presses her lips against the tuft of hair she finds.

"Oh, darling. You're turning out even better than I could have ever imagined", she says, smiling into the skin.

Another shiver afflicts Marinette, and her hands jerk forward to snatch the mirror off the wall; she hurls it against the floor and, gasping unevenly, collapses to the floor. Ladybug hums and sinks as well, leaning close to grab Marinette's lower lip and give it a gentle tug. Marinette stares up through eyes brimming with tears and confusion. She chokes.

"What's wrong with me", she asks; her lungs feel airless, as if someone's taken a vacuum and ejected fumes and dirt throughout them.  
Ladybug wraps an arm around her and smirks. She tilts her head towards Marinette's ear and whispers, "Everything. But only in the best way possible".

. . .

The girl dies just a few hours later. Ladybug disappears; Tikki takes her place, resting in the crook of Marinette's neck, and spends the next two days sleeping on the floor with her.


	7. Glass Clovers and Golden Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien have a nice walk and talk in the park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't been active these past few days. I've been busy with end of the year shit, so my schedule's been a bit hectic. The typical posting schedule's gonna resume as as of today, so expect another update sometime Friday. And enjoy this fluffy bit while you can because shit's gonna hit the fan in the coming chapter, especially the one after the next one. So keep that in mind while you're reading and without further ado (because I'm lame :p), let's get into it.

The designs aren't her own; they're made by her own hand, but, given that her mind's barely functioning to recall the walk to the park, she doubts the clothes jumping onto the page are of her creation. Nevertheless, her pencil remains firm in her hand, and she keeps sketching. Ladybug sits on the back of the bench, feet placed firmly on the seat beneath her, and nods in approval. She points at the sash beside her portrait and says, "Okay, so I'm digging everything else (nice choice with the combat boots by the way), but I think we could do without the sash."  
Marinette scowls. She glances up through her bangs and tosses her arm over the back of the bench. Ladybug scoots aside, and Marinette stares down at the band. "I like the sash", she states. "It looks nice."  
"Yes, yes, you've got me there. A sash can make anyone look better." She wiggles her feet and drops her hands between her feet. A sole finger lifts and points at Marinette. "But-"  
"Here we go."  
"It's got no purpose. It'd be different if this was for your civilian attire or something, but this is for Ladybug. Everything about Ladybug serves a purpose, and that has no purpose."  
A boy zooms past them on a bike. His head turns the space where Ladybug sits, where Marinette's staring quite irritably, and tilts it in confusion. He turns back to Marinette and pedals faster, tossing unnerved looks over his shoulder until he's disappeared over the hill. Marinette sighs, picks her pencil up, and begins erasing. As strings of pink rubber drop onto the page, she murmurs, "It's only a matter of time before someone reserves me a room in a psychiatric hospital."

"I can't imagine why", Ladybug inputs as she eases the rest of her body onto the seat of the bench. She leans against Marinette and sighs. "People see you talking to seemingly no one, and, next thing you know, the town town crier's got the whole city convinced you're nuts."

Marinette rolls her eyes. She brushes away the flakes of eraser and bumps her shoulder against Ladybug's. "Yeah, I've gotta get you updated with the times. Town criers aren't really big anymore. Well, not here at least."  
"Then, who do you go to get news?"  
"The newspaper. The internet. Teenagers if you're looking for something petty." She picks up her pencil to flesh out Ladybug's boots but stops when her eyes fall upon the hill once more. A head of blonde hair bounces as it ascends the trail, light and fluffy, like yellow, downy sheets. Adrien reaches the peak of the hill and looks over the area for a moment before he spots Marinette. He waves eagerly and speedwalks down the trail.

"Don't let him bother you", Ladybug growls. "You haven't even started on my new gloves yet!"  
"Be quiet", Marinette hushes, waving a hand at her. Adrien raises an eyebrow at that and he pauses before her, staring at the space where Ladybug sits. Marinette coughs into her hand and scoots aside, leaving enough room for Ladybug but creating just enough space for him to sit. "I thought I saw a, uh, bug. You wanna sit?"  
"Yeah, sure."

She scoops her sketchbook into her backpack and crosses her left leg over her right. She catches sight of the mini composition notebook in his hand and asks, "Busy?"  
He follows her line of sight and chuckles. "Uh, not yet. But I will be soon. It's spring, you know, and the fashion styles are gonna be changing. My father says it'll be a good opportunity for publicity. I haven't been too active these past few months."  
"Oh. Is that what you want?"  
He shrugs, dishelving the strap of his satchel, and stares at the children rolling past on their scooters. "It's a good way to make money", he answers, his voice empty. Then, brushing his pinkie over the silver band clinging to his ring finger, he sits beside Marinette and sighs. "I'm gonna be busy for the next few weeks", Adrien begins again. Turning to Marinette, he gives her a sad smile and says, "I won't have as much time for anything other than school and work. Guess it's a good thing I ran into you today, then, huh?"  
Marinette's shoulders slump. She returns his smile with one of her own and says, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Yeah. Anyway." He sits up straighter, and his face brightens, eyelashes fluttering and lips pulling back into an eager smile. "What's up with you? I know yesterday you said you were working on a personal project. Any updates?"

Ladybug drops her hands on Marinette's shoulders and snickers. "Mari hasn't been up to much, aside from some tender footed doodles. Ladybug, on the other hand, has been quite busy. Ain't that right, Mari? Making the city better one bone-shattering victory at a time." Marinette drops her shoulders, knocking the hands off, and stands. "This bench is kind of uncomfortable", she says, bouncing from one foot to the other. "You wanna, uh, go for a walk?"

Adrien stands as well and follows her, shuddering as Ladybug glides past him and falls into step beside Marinette. He tugs at his sleeves and walks on the other side of Marinette. He takes note of Marinette's uncombed hair and ruffled pajamas and bites his lip. Careful to keep his tone light and devoid of accusation, he inquires, "Is everything all right?"

"You really shouldn't be talking to people", Ladybug reminds her, hopping into the air and latching onto a tree branch dangling over the trail. She then leaps into the next tree, then the next, then the next before disappearing.

Marinette grips her forearms and says, "I'm fine".

"You don't seem fine." When she looks up at him, he sniffles and averts his eyes. "I'm not trying to be judgey, but you just seem kind of-"  
Ladybug dips from the air, clinging to the string of her yo-yo, giggles, "Off the rails? Neurotic? Batshit crazy?", then disappears once more.

"-I don't know, off. Like something's bothering you. Is it-is it Chloé and them?"

"...They're part of it." A gust of wind blows past them, and a straggling autumn slams against her cheek. She grabs it, lets it fall into the small of her hand, and brushes a finger over the brittle texture. It nearly crumbles underneath the weight but yields, bending but not quite breaking. Marinette sighs and says, "I guess I have been feeling kind of lousy lately; kinda not quite myself."  
"Well, has your, uh, time off helped any?"  
She shrugs. "I'm not worse. But I'm not better either."

From above, Ladybug titters and says, "I'd disagree. I happen to love Mari 2.0. She's edgy and dark, like a razor blade." She drops from the trees again and swings beside Adrien. Of course, he doesn't notice, but she leans forward, and presses her lips into the underside of his neck before taking a step back. She tosses her yo-yo into yet another tree, winks, then finishes with, "Don't get too close, Mr. Agreste. I got plans for this one, and I don't think you're gonna like em."

Marinette pauses abruptly and grabs Adrien by his arm. "Hey", she says, a strand of hair falling between her eyes. She tugs him away from the path and nods towards a clearing leading to a large patch of horse-chestnut trees. "Let's go over here."  
Adrien stumbles behind her but allows himself to be lead away. He laughs confusedly and, after regaining his feet, falls into a jog at her right. He doesn't notice the shower of leaves, and Marinette's too intent on ignoring them to bring it up anyway. Just as the path behind them fades from their view, she stops and lies down, sighing as her hair intermingles with dewy blades of grass. Adrien takes a seat beside her and, after a moment's hesitation, turns onto his side to stare at her. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye, then looks away.

"Mari", Adrien starts in a soft voice.

She closes her eyes and presses her head into the earth.

"I'm fine", she whispers. "I'm just...trying to do right by me and by everyone else. But it's like." An insect starts buzzing, and she trips over her next words before continuing. "It feels like I have to do the wrong thing to keep everything in order." She opens her eyes and turns to face him. "Please, tell me that makes sense. Even if it's beyond fucked up, tell me it makes sense."

Adrien nods grimly. "Yeah. I actually got a friend that I think's going through the exact same thing."

"I wish I could meet her. Maybe she could help me figure this out."

"Trust me, the way she's going, she probably needs as much help as you." His eyes widen, and he winces. He sits up and revolves his hands about each other. "That-that's not to say you need help. I just meant that, uh,-"

Ladybug rolls her eyes and drops her head onto Marinette's stomach. "Oh, you foolish children."

"It's fine."  
"It's really not-"  
"And thanks." She sits up and takes his hand in hers, staring at their intertwined fingers as the saliva in her mouth runs dry. "For listening. And just being here I guess."

The joy in his face fades. Adrien ducks his head and sighs. "Well, you know I'm gonna busy for the next few weeks. So I-I might not be around as much." He twiddles his thumbs in front of him, pulls his lower lip between his teeth, and closes his eyes. "Okay, so I got you something. I was gonna call you later and ask you to meet up for some ice cream, but you're here now so". He reaches into his pocket then and pulls out an anklet with four-leafed clover charms of varying shades of red. "To, uh, keep your head up. And to remember that I'll always be here. Even when I'm not."

Marinette takes the anklet with ginger fingers and smiles. She lifts it to the sun and watches as yellow beams shine through the charms and cast a warm, vermillion shadow upon her neck. "Thank you. It's beautiful." She kicks off her left shoe, slides her ankle through the band, and smiles. "How'd you know I like red?"

Adrine blushes. He squirms, hands fidgeting at his sides, and admits, "At the beginning of sophomore year, Bustier had everyone introduce themselves. You said your favorite color was red, and you wear it a lot. I wasn't sure if it was still your favorite or a second or third, but I was hoping."  
She flexes her leg and watches as the bracelet slides down from her ankle. The charms are cool and metallic, and the intricately woven cloth feels nice against her skin. "Well, it is." She fingers the clovers and smirks. "What's with the charms?"

"Oh. I just figured, with the fight and your parents being out out town and all, you could use some good luck."

Ladybug drags a hand over Marinette's face, drawing a flustered gasp from her, and giggles. "Come on, Mari", she interposes as she kicks her feet into the air. "I think we all know you've got all the good luck you need."

Adrien watches her worriedly and gives her hand a gentle clench. "Marinette", he says as he circles his thumb around the palm of her hand. "Just be okay, okay? You don't have to be anything you aren't but be okay." He gives another clench, this one tighter and more insistent, and Marinette leans closer on instinct. Ladybug growls and retreats ever so slightly, but Marinette's eyes are on Adrien. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

Marinette scoots forward, slapping Ladybug in annoyance, and nods. "I'll be fine, Adrien." Then, scooting forward once more, she adds, "And I hope your friend turns out okay. Be good to her, all right? If she's like me, I doubt everything's as black and white as it seems."  
"Don't worry. I'm not giving up on her." He gives her a look and stands, stretching his arms behind his back. "Come on", he says with a nod. "I know a nice churro place a few minutes from here. Wait, do you like churros?"

Marinette smiles and crawls to her feet. "Absolutely."

. . .

Adrien receives a bracelet with golden bells in the mail the next day. Marinette never admits that it's from her. And the best part, she supposes, is that she never has to.


	8. Friend or Enemy of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old "friend" stops by Mari's late one night to give her some advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit (just a bit) longer than usual. Get ready, guys, Sunday's update is gonna be killer. Spoiler alert...literally.

Her bed is too soft.

It's a realization that startles Marinette into sitting upright late one night after patrol. It starts as merely a discomfort, like her body's seconds away from melding into her bed, but quickly evolves into a something akin to suffocating. The air is too hot, and her blankets and pillows are constrictive. Her chest heaving, Marinette tosses her comforter off of her and drops her arms between her legs. When this does little to relieve the pressure, Marinette shudders and crawls out of bed, nearly cracking her head on the floor before she rights herself and falls on her side. She gulps and takes her frenzied hair in her hands. Strands of hair sparkle with red energy, and Marinette squeaks. She lowers her hands and closes her eyes.

"We were doing fine", she murmurs into the dark room. "We were doing fine, and I was happy, and I was powerful, and now, I'm rocking on the floor in the middle of the night." A tree branch clatters against the window, and folds into a ball. "God, it never fucking lasts."

"Well, of course, it doesn't. That's what happens when you dabble in the dark arts, Marinette."

Her reaction is instantaneous. Eyes flying open and body unfolding, Marinette hops off the floor and grazes her fingers over her earrings. Now doning the suit, she pulls back both fists and thrusts out her chest. She pulls a yo-yo from her utility belt and tosses it in the direction of the voice. It snags around a body, and she tugs, digging her soles into the floorboards. When the person is pulled from the darkness, Marinette scoffs. She summons an orb of red energy, splits it into streams, and directs it to point at various spots of the person's body.

"What the hell are you doing here", she demands, stance taut and ready.

"Honestly, I would have thought you'd be used to randos popping up in your room by now." Hood pulls the hood of her sweatshirt off her head and smirks. "Oh, Ms. Dupain-Cheng", she begins, stretching her fingers at her sides. "You don't look too good."

Marinette retrieves another yo-yo and tosses it around her feet. Hood collapses to the floor, groaning as her chin digs into the wooden floorboards; Marinette pulls her up by her hair and, barely keeping her energy at bay, spits, "You're about fifteen seconds away from having every square unit of your body penetrated by Astral knives; you're not in the place to tell me how shitty I look."  
Hood rolls her eyes. "I'm guessing hospitality's not your strong suit."

"You broke something in me; a couple months later, you break into my house. Excuse me if I'm not feeling very hospitable."

"All right, all right. I suppose that's fair. Believe it or not, though, I'm not here to cause you anymore grief. I'm actually here to help." She glances down at her restraints and the bolts of red pointed at her. "Now, you've proven yourself capable of handling me. Can we have a civil discussion?"  
"How do I know you're not carrying anything?"  
"Take off my robe if you must. But I assure you, I mean you no harm."

Marinette glares. She jerks back her arms, and the yo-yos retreat back into her belt; then, her eyes keen on Hood's yielding figure, she reaches for the chain dangling from her beside lamp and floods the room with a flaxen light. She hops forward, snatches the hood off of Hood's body, and tosses it aside. She nods to her computer chair.

"Sit", Marinette demands as she creeps towards her bed. "Keep your hands on your thighs and your legs spread."  
"Mm, getting suggestive, are we", Hood retorts. When she's complied with her demands, she tilts her head up and offers Marinette a contrite smile. "I want you to know that this", she gestures to Marinette. "Was never my intention."  
"Uh huh." She leans forward, fingers within grasp of her yo-yos, and glares. "And what exactly was your intention? And did it have anything to do with that crap you threw at me?"

"I understand you're upset, but could you please not insult my work?" Hood scowls and crosses her arms. "I've put a lot of work into my life as a sorceress, and I'd gladly appreciate it if you wouldn't squander it."

She's unarmed. She's unarmed, and she's weak, and she is insignificant. Nothing, not her hands nor the vicious bite of her tongue, could harm Marinette. Yet something about her maintains a sense of power, an aura that radiates poise and confidence, despite being at the mercy of a person, of a being, of substantial strength. It's both maddening and alluring, though the latter of the two yields, and Marinette nods. "Okay", she relents, claws prickling the insides of her skin.

"Thank you." Hood raises and lowers her shoulders in a brief dance and makes to hop out of her seat. When this prompts the reemergence of Marinette's energy blades, she presses her back into the chair and purses her lips.

Marinette sighs, waves her hands, and the blades evaporate. "Sorry", she murmurs. "I'm still...figuring them out."  
"And yet you're in possession of them?"  
"I can handle them. I've been handling them for a few weeks now."

"Oh, yes, of course." A red blade dances past her ear, slicing her lobe, and wriggles against her cheek. She winces and rolls the chair a centimeter to the left. "If by handling you mean whacking every akumatized civilian sent your way, then you're handling them just fine."  
"You were talking about intentions earlier." She brushes her fingers over one of her yo-yos disks. "Can we get back to that?"  
"Yes. But I hope you realize it's still related to that lust for power you're so adamant on avoiding."

Marinette opens her left hand, allowing her yo-yo to roll to the ground before pulling it back into her palm. She shifts her weight, sinking into the left side of her bed, and repeats the same movement with her right hand. Her ears feel full, like an entire ocean's been poured into them, and the tendons in her neck are hot and pulsing. "Where's Ladybug?"

"Gone. Not for long, mind you, as she is an Astral being; there's only so much my magic can do. But I'm certain we've enough time to talk."  
"There's nothing to talk about. I'm perfectly fine."  
Hood rolls her eyes. She scoots the chair forward, pleased when Marinette allows her to do so, and folds her hands in her lap. "All right. Then how about we talk about me? In relation to you, I mean."  
"Sounds like a good idea."  
"I know, that's why I suggested it." The energy beams surrounding her fade to a fine red mist, and Marinette's shoulders relax. Hood smiles and scoots even closer. The floorboards groan as the wheels pass over them; aside from that, the room is relatively silent as Hood takes Marinette's hands in her own and says, "You're dying, Marinette. And you're killing Paris in the process."  
"What does that-"  
"Let me finish. Ladybug is nothing but a manipulative parasite in spandex. She pretends to care about you, but the truth is, she only cares about shedding her tether to the Astral plane."  
"That's not true."  
"It is, and you know it. Tell me you haven't noticed how possessive, how controlling she is. Tell me she doesn't get aggressive when you don't listen, and tell me she hasn't downplayed anything that doesn't center around her. Tell me."

"She's just trying to keep me motivated. And I need it. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be where I am now."  
"That's the point, Mari."

Rain patters against the roof tiles. Beyond the windows, impatient car horns penetrate the air and dance between the anxious vehicles in the streets. A squeaky shopping cart rolls down a ramp at the skatepark across the street. The building shifts in the wind, creaking lightly, Marinette gulps, overwhelmed in a sense she's never experienced. She places her yo-yos beside her and rubs the palm of her hand against her ear. "If you're so Anti-Ladybug", she questions, eyes apprehensive yet curious. "Then why bring her out in the first place?"  
Hood raises an eyebrow.

"I'm not an idiot. Everything changed that night in the Catacombs. It doesn't take a detective to figure out what happened."  
"You're a brittle cookie", Hood admits with a defeated sigh. "But never let anyone doubt your intelligence." She rises from her chair and takes a seat beside Marinette. Marinette glares at the sudden proximity and creates a few inches distance between them; Hood's eyes narrow at the reaction, but she doesn't comment on it, instead choosing to answer Marinette's prior question. "I did bring Ladybug into this plane. And, make no mistake, I am quite possibly the best sorceress to have ever lived. But I didn't know the power of the dust."  
"Then who did?"  
"My superiors."  
"And they would be-"  
Hood raises a hand. "Not important."

"Well, you've got to give me something." Marinette's energy flares, and she pushes herself forward, the tips of their noses brushing against one another. Twitchy, red fingers scale up Marinette's body, tangling themselves in her hair and wringing themselves about her arms and legs. She huffs and says, "I'm putting a lot of trust in you. Don't make me regret it."  
Hood stares back at her. Purple clouds mass within her eyes, and the window blows open, bringing with the rain the faint scent of lavender and ash. Marinette glares at the window and moves to approach it but stops when Hood places a hand to her shoulder.

"I'm just trying to be cautious", she explains in a low voice. She pushes Marinette back onto the bed; the storm settles briefly, and her calm aura shifts, revealing a crack in the facade before reforming. She straightens her spine, and relaxes the taut muscles in her face. "Whether you admit it or not, these are troublesome times, and knowing my story could push the tide either way."  
"Then I guess we have to just take that chance." Marinette's eyes flick towards Hood's discarded robe before they return to her face. "Start with your name", she orders. "And how you figured out my identity."

Hood closes her eyes. Her hands fumble at her sides, and her head lowers a fraction of a centimeter. The rain's died down, but the wind howls, a feral and ferocious growl that bites against the walls and foundation of the bakery. "I've always known, Marinette. Even before you know, and long before you were chosen as the new Ladybug. Long before you were even born actually."  
"Yes. But how?"  
"All Ladybugs of the past have a mental record of forthcoming Ladybugs. Most pass on to live in the astral plane; they're allowed respite, but they take turns to ensuring, like their living counterparts, that the Personas don't wreak havoc." She pauses and rubs her palms against her thighs. The everlasting candid expression falls, and a deep-suited solemnity takes hold of her. "But for every Persona, one wielder of the past must remain on earth, to monitor the present wielder. For the other Miraculouses, the observing wielder is always the one prior to the current. But I've been the observer since I first gained my Miraculous."  
Marinette frowns. She reaches out for Hood's hand. A blistering heat passes between their fingers, and Hood winces. But Marinette doesn't let go. She squeezes harder, easing her hold only when Hood looks up at her. "Why", she demands. "What's so special about you?" When she says nothing, she scoffs and lets go. "Who are you?"  
The veins lining Hood's body turn a fluorescent purple. The clouds return within her eyes, and the window curtains flail through the air. Her shoulders slump, and she sighs. "I used to be Nanette. And I used to be Ladybug."

The energy pulsing through Nanette's veins is vivacious and parasitic. Upon further glance, it's almost startling how tired and defeated Nanette looks. Her face has a haggard look to it, the area beneath her eyes bruised and her cheekbones pressing against the skin, and her lips are raw from frequent gnawing. Her hands are frail and trembling, and her spine, so well-defined a moment ago, almost resembles the arch of a rainbow. Marinette stares down at her own hands and says, "Who are you now?"  
"Whatever you want me to be", she says with a shrug.

"Okay." She slides her hands against and over one another and exhales slowly. "So you're you. And you've been trying to keep Ladybug from manifesting. But you put a...curse on me that did just that. I don't get it."

"Neither did I", Nanette admits. "But I told you. I didn't know my dust would cause this. My intent was to keep her in the Astral Plane. My superiors, who are still not important, recognized that you were abusing your Miraculous. When I revealed my plan to spike you with a little hex I've been working on, they 'advised' me to add an ingredient."

Marinette raises an eyebrow. She stands from the bed and marches over to the handheld mirror laid out on her dresser. She leans her head over it and stares at her reflection. A hand raises to glide over her face, the other extending to press its fingers against the reflective surface. "I'm assuming you don't know what the ingredient was."  
"As it stands, no; I don't even know why they wanted the ingredient. If I did, I'd've gotten to working on a counter spell ages ago."  
Marinette drops her hand onto the desk. Her nails scraping against the aging oakwood, she sighs, looks over her shoulder, and says, "Sounds like your bosses keep a lot from you. You should probably consider a different field."  
"Last time I checked, you've spent the better part of the last few years fighting criminals with powers from a pair of earrings you found. You're in no place to talk."  
"Fair enough." Marinette turns around then. She leans against her desk and gives Nanette a wary yet curious glance. Crossing her arms over her chest, she notes, "You act a lot like Ladybug, you know."  
Nanette winces. Her cheeks flush red, and she ducks her head, clothing her eyes behind her stale hair. "I suppose I would", she says, her voice airtight. "At one point in time, we were the same person." Then, looking up through the breaks in her hair, she adds, "You're beginning to mirror Ladybug yourself."  
Marinette scowls and places her hands on her hips. "You don't know what you're talking about-"  
"Mari-"  
"So you made your potion. Your bosses added their own spices, then sent you out. You started running around the city, knowing you'd catch my attention, and lured me into the Catacombs. You threw your dust at me, brought out Ladybug, and here we are. Am I caught up?"  
"Yes, but-"  
"Good." She crawls back into bed and pulls her comforter over herself. "Then we're done here."  
Nanette rolls onto her knees and grabs Marinette's shoulders. "I don't think you quite understand", she says as she leans into Marinette's ear. "If you continue to let Ladybug in, you will cease to exist."  
"It's not going to get that bad", Marinette insists. She looks up from the zig-zagging patterns of her comforter and levels Nanette with a cool stare. "I'm not like you, Nanette." She flicks her hand, and Ladybug materializes over them, hovering beside them with an amused smirk.

"Nanette", she greets. "Long time, no see. You look just awful, and, you know what, that just won't do. I'm trying to help Marinette with her style, and I'm afraid you're a bad influence on her." Nanette rises and stretches her hand out, fingers reaching for her lonely hood, only to disappear in a puff of smoke. Marinette sits up, tosses her legs over the edge of her bed, and sighs. From above, Ladybug floats to the hood, snatches it off the floor, and crumbles it into a ball.

"She won't be bothering us for a while", she consoles upon noticing Marinette's distressed expression. She rolls the bundled up hood between her hands and shudders. "Can't believe that little pest actually figured out an Astral Warding. That's really gonna be a pain."

"She wasn't right, was she", Marinette asks. "About me losing myself? I'm still gonna be me when we finish my training. Right?"  
"Of course. If I wanted to take Paris, I'd do it by myself."  
"But you're a Persona. Everything about you revolves around you keeping Paris safe. Only, you can't do that on your own because you're an Astral being." She glances up at Ladybug, who's begun to descend from the air, and taps her fingers against her knees. "You'd need a vessel to really protect Paris."  
Ladybug lands beside Marinette and sighs. She takes Marinette's shoulders, gives her a brief yet rough shake, then pulls her close. Marinette's face nestles in the crook of her neck, and she closes her eyes. Ladybug smiles, her own eyes approving, and gently rocks her back and forward. "Listen, sweetie", she croons. "It is my duty to keep Paris safe. And, at times, it is frustrating to see the condition the city's in. But it's also my duty to make sure my wielder is keeping the city safe. Dynamic Duo, remember? I can't get shit done without you."  
"But I'm nobody", Marinette whispers, her words weighted with disbelief. "I'm nothing. What could I possibly have to offer you?"  
Ladybug purrs. She pulls Marinette closer and twists her fingers through Marinette's hair, pleased when the lost teen presses further into the touch. "Because you're realistic", she replies. "And strong-willed." She dips her fingers behind Marinette's head and presses into the back of her neck. "And reactive when need be. Then there's that big brain of yours."  
Ladybug spreads her legs and allows Marinette to fall between them. When Marinette looks up, it's with lidded eyes and a languid scowl. "This morning, you said I had a big, empty head."  
"Oh, hush, I was trying to motivate you. You weren't exactly performing at your best today. But come on." She presses her cheek against Marinette's. "You and me", she says. "We're a team. Everything I do, everything I say, is for the benefit of the both of us. You believe me. Don't you, Mari?"

Marinette pulls the comforter over their bodies. She snuggles into Ladybug's arms and nods. "Of course."  
Ladybug tightens her hold and snaps her fingers, cloaking the room in darkness. Energy seeps from them both and wraps around them like an electrical straight jacket. It pierces Marinette's skin, but she's already too far under to notice.


	9. Marinette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's in trouble and so is Paris.

"So I've been going through the papers", Ladybug notes from the bathroom. "And it seems like the city's pretty fucking torn over 'Ladybug's descent into the dark side'. They can't figure out if I've been akumatized, if I've been replaced, or if I've flipped my kettle. It's kind of entertaining actually."

Marinette stares down at her bloody knuckles. She flexes her fingers, sighing at the subsequent pop she receives, and flips them so that her palms are face-up. "This is the sixth person we've put in the hospital, Lady. Come sunup, it'll be the third person we've killed. I'm all for peace, but how is hurting and killing people accomplishing anything?"  
"Lighten up, Mari, we're just doing what needs to be done." Ladybug drags her hands underneath the running faucet, gathers a puddle of water in her palms, then splashes the water onto her face. Sighing in relief, she reaches for a washcloth on the towel rack and presses it against her face. "And, all things considered, I think we're handling this well. I mean, we've been dealing with Hawk Ass for how long now? His attacks have been especially grating this past year. Ah, and cruel, I was getting there, calm down. My point is, he's only getting worse." She tosses the rag back onto the rack and walks back into the room. "And he's gonna keep getting worse unless we limit his supply."

"But maybe there's another way", Marinette murmurs as she wipes a tissue over her knuckles. "We were doing just fine before-"  
"'Fine'? 'Fine'?" Ladybug stomps over to Marinette, snatches the tissue from her hands, and tosses it away. It doesn't draw the fierce display she wants, instead gliding to the floor in fluid swipes. Marinette snickers at the sight, stopping only when Ladybug turns back around and presses a finger into her chest. "'Fine'", Ladybug spits. "Is for chumps who take whatever's handed to them. 'Fine' is for losers contempt with getting their asses handed to them simply because they don't have the balls to make the decisions necessary to keep the whole damn city from collapsing." She presses the finger further before pulling away. "We have the power, Marinette, to make Paris what it needs to be, and we waste it saving the very people threatening its safety. Doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"

"...Kind of. I guess."  
"There's no guessing. Listen to me." She takes Marinette's hands into her own and brushes her pinkies over her palms. "With great power comes great responsibility; you had a crush on Tobey Maguire long enough to know the shtick. You happen to be one of the two strongest beings in creation. And it is your, our, responsibility to make sure the people we protect aren't posing a danger to themselves. If we have to enforce controversial means to ensure their safety, then that's just the way it's gotta be. They've proven themselves incapable of managing their own lives, so we'll just have to step in and manage it ourselves."

Tikki shoots from behind Mari's hair and zips across the room to Ladybug. She pauses just before her nose, her wings flapping furiously as she says, "You stop this nonsense immediately, you heinous shrew. Talk like that'll take us back the times of Guerre. Although, knowing you, that's probably exactly what you want."  
Ladybug rolls her eyes. She swipes a hand beneath Tikki, giggling at the indignant shriek she receives; an uneven breath expels from her mouth, and she bends over, resting her hands onto her thighs. "Let me know when you've squashed this insolent little insect", she calls to Marinette. "Once you have", she resumes, eyes locked on Tikki's tremoring little body, "Then we can really have some fun." With that, she walks towards the window. She crawls onto the desk, knocking over a glass angel figurine, and crawls out the window. Before she hops away, though, she pokes her head back in and says, "Oh. And protect the city of course."

Tikki turns to Marinette.

"I know you're worried", Marinette asserts as she waves a hand. She takes a seat at the computer, tossing a glare at the shattered angel, and presses the power button. The screen blinks to life, and she hums in approval before looking up at Tikki. "But I'm fine. Really."  
"Marinette. You are not going out tonight."  
"Don't be ridiculous." She clicks onto the Internet Explorer icon, awakening the Tumblr mainscreen, then proceeds to type in her account information. "I can't just not go", she says as she's greeted by her dashboard. "Chat's still MIA, and I don't see anyone else stepping up to look after Paris."  
"A night off might do you some good." Tikki hops onto her keyboard and presses the backspace button. Marinette growls and picks her up, setting her on the long-since abandoned canister of needles and thread at the edge of her desk. Tikki's antennae stand upright, and her tiny legs kick beneath her. "Lately, you've been hurting more people than you've been saving", she pleads with barely suppressed frustration. "It might be best if you just give Ladybug some time to cool off, let your noodles settle some."  
"My noodles are fine, Tikki, I just need to stretch my legs." She jumps back to her page and, as she's waiting for it to finish loading, looks up and stares out the window. Ladybug's disappeared, again, but Marinette has a nice view of the sunset. The colors, a lovely blend of yellow, orange, and red, are almost mesmerizing, and her fingers itch to take the image in her hands and capture it on a sheet of paper; maybe even take it a step further and knit a t-shirt dyed with the colors. But a sunset is not just a sunset, and, as alluring as it may be, it also signifies that it's time for Marinette herself to disappear. "Ladybug can be kind of intense, but I know when to draw the line", she explains as her eyes dips back to her computer.  
"The line should have been drawn the moment she materialized, Mari. Miraculous Personas were never meant to be earthbound."  
"Well, I don't see why. She's not the best company, but it's not like I'm gonna let her corrupt me or anything." Her fingers pause over her keys, and she bites her lip. "I'm not like Nanette."

Tikki sighs. She floats over to the mouse and drapes her body over the back of Marinette's hand. "I know, sweetie, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. It doesn't matter how alike you and Nanette are. You both have the Ladybug Miraculous, and, whether you admit it or not, you're both struggling with life. When Personas take form, their base desires are magnified and latch onto your psyche. There is no fighting it; you have to put her down."  
"I know what I'm doing, Tikki." She huffs out an impatient breath. She withdraws her hand from underneath Tikki and clenches her fists at her side. "Why can't you just trust me", she asks, eyes swimming in betrayal.  
"This has nothing to do with trust. It's about fact. And the fact is that you don't understand the type of magic you're exploiting."  
"Exploiting!" Her fists burst into sparkling flames. "I'm doing my fucking job!"  
Tikki folds her arms. She takes quick note of the energy surrounding Marinette and rolls back her shoulders, pushing out her chest. "And you seem like you're enjoying it just a bit too much."

Marinette glares. She thrusts her seat awayu, rolling until the back of the chair meets the bed, then stands. She fingers her earrings. "It's getting late." She turns to the window and closes her eyes. "Spots on, Tikki. I need to transform."  
"You can't possibly-"  
"Tikki. This is my job." She turns back and steps forward, her stature obstinate and menacing. "You're preventing me from doing my job. Is that what you want? You want me to leave Paris unprotected?"  
Tikki stares. She remains standing on the desk for a moment before allowing her shoulders to droop and reluctantly fly to Marinette. She takes a brief detour towards her ankle, dragging her fingers over the charms of her anklet, then shoots upward and activates Marinette's earrings. Marinette keeps her eyes closed throughout the transformation, relishing the electricity tainting her blood, and tilts her head back. Upon opening her eyes, she feels warm fingers against her neck and shudders. Something sharp pricks her ear, followed by a chilling voice saying, "Now. Now, we're getting somewhere."

. . .

Later, she won't remember the dash to the Fresnes Prison. Clips of before and after will plague her for months, years, afterwards. Most of what she knows of the Beginning of the Second Guerre will come from news clippings and a semi-reluctant Adrien. She'll watch herself combat the escaped felons. She'll watch herself activate her Lucky Charm to summon sparkly ornaments of tear gas, pepper spray, and Brugmansia powder. She'll watch the crowd of prisoners collapse to their knees and convulse, rashes breaking out across their faces and silent screams bursting from their mouths. And she'll feel an immense hatred when the camera pans to her face, the girl that looks a lot like a disguised Marinette Dupain-Cheng gives the cameraman a manic smile before exploding into a mist of red powder.


	10. And When the City Burns, Who'll Be There to Save You, Little Miss Mari?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire and destruction.

Chat finds her on an abandoned fire escape, whistling as she inspects an empty ornament with mild disdain.

"Well", she greets; she tosses the ornament into the air and smiles as it tumbles over the railing and falls into the street. "Look who's finally showed up."  
"You've taken this too far, Lady." Chat's eyes follow the ornament, the wrinkles surrounding them diminishing only when it collides with asphalt and releases little more than a puff of air. He turns back to Ladybug, ears pressed against his head, and begins to pace slowly, eyeing her with bristling disappointment. Gesturing to the inflamed buildings and climbing smoke clouds behind them, he hisses clenches his fists and hisses, "Look at what you've done! You're a fucking terrorist!"

Ladybug rolls her eyes. She reaches for another ornament within her utility belt pockets and twirls it between her fingers. Before she can throw this one over the railing, Chat snatches it from her hands and drops it into his backpack. Pouting, she crosses her arms and argues, "One man's terror is another man's triumph."  
Chat steps forward and grabs Ladybug by the shoulders. "Listen to me. I don't know what's going on with you", he begins. Someone screams in the far distance, and he winces. The screaming drawls on, and, painful as the act is, he forces his attention back onto Ladybug. His claws dig into the flesh of her shoulders, though the intended effect is lost on Ladybug. She tosses her head back and giggles, her eyes dancing with the flames devouring the buildings behind Chat. "I don't know what's going on with you." A whine escapes him, and his tail rises to curl around Ladybug's wrist. She recoils at the contact, but his grip on both her shoulders and wrist remain as firm as the desperation within his eyes. "And I'm sorry", he continues. "I'm sorry I haven't been around as much. But come on." The building beside them collapses into a massive pile of bricks, glass, tangled wiring, and crushed bodies. "You know this is wrong."

"I'm only doing. What we should have been doing from the very beginning." She brushes his hand off her shoulder and takes a step back. Watching over the chaotic ruins of Paris with a satisfied smile, she grabs her elbow with one hand and places the other beneath her chin. "We have the means to permanently stop criminals and finally make this place look like the shit we advertise in brochures. I'm just utilizing the power I've been entrusted with."

"Just because you have the power doesn't mean you should use it. Especially not in the way you're using." Chat hops forward, landing on the railing, and stares at her. "Now, maybe that thing with Boom was an accident. You misjudged your strength, and someone died. Okay. Fine." A shudder afflicts him, and he grits out, "It's shitty, and it sucks, but everyone screws up; especially when they've got powers they don't entirely understand." The rising growl in his chest breaks free, and he leans forward, face inches from Ladybug's. "But you had bombs this time, Lady, and you willingly used them on civilians."

"I'm merely attempting to establish order." Ladybug leans over the railing and smirks, her billowing hair cloaking the cataclysm behind her. "What you view as terror, I see as progress. If it helps, think of me as a freedom fighter."  
"Freedom fighters have goals, and they have dreams. What do you dream of, Lady?" When he gets no reply, only an unhinged display of teeth, he sighs and leans even closer. Ladybug giggles and follows in suit, pressing her nose against his. Chat doesn't move, but his eyes narrow, and the tips of canines peak from beneath his lips. "Do you have any idea what the body count it", he demands. "The mayor's declared you public enemy number one, and there's a ransom out for your head. My kwami's flipping the fuck out, talking about some ancient war, and the UN's talking about sending in "physical support". This isn't a game anymore. You need to stop."  
Ladybug pulls away and leans over the railing. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, then says, "I don't need to do anything".  
"This isn't you talking. My kwami says this is all your Persona." His eyes dart to her ears. Ladybug glowers, taking an instinctive step backward, and reaches for her belt. Chat makes note of the retreat but continues, hands trembling at his sides. "Milady, whoever you are, I know this isn't your fault. But you gotta fight this. People are dead, and they're gonna keep dying unless we do something about this."

"Okay, could we quit it with the redemption shit?" Ladybug places a palm over her chest. "I know what I'm doing, and I'm doing what I want: protecting my city."  
"You just set a fucking bomb off and destroyed half of Paris!"  
"Sacrifices must be made, Chat." She shrugs and crawls onto the railing. "I'm sorry you can't see that." She prepares to leap to the next building when Chat latches her onto forearm, his claws pressing against her skin and his eyes pleading.

"Please, just listen to me." Ladybug struggles in his grip; he glares, tugging on her arm, then takes the other in his free hand. "Listen", he urges, pulling her arms down before him. "You've already got the city after you. If you don't stand down, the kwamis are gonna have to get involved, and you know what that'll look like."  
She rolls her eyes. "I'm not afraid of a pack of fairies." Her ornaments clank against the shimmering metal of her belt. Her yo-yos clang, emitting a similar, lighter sound, and she tugs once more. Chat, in turn, takes another step forward. "Let me go."  
"You keep doing what you're doing, and you're gonna die. And I don't want you to die."  
Ladybug growls and makes to yank her arm away when her struggling suddenly ceases; her arms still at her side, and the mad smile defining her face since her his arrival falls. The mania within her eyes fades, and her shoulders droop. Marinette shakes her head and draws away from Chat, surveying the burning buildings with detached astonishment.

Chat gulps and releases her arm, instead reaching for her shoulder. "I can't watch you die, milady. Don't make me do it."

The tension in her frame returns. Her head whips back to him, Ladybug emerging as quickly as she'd be subdued, and she thrusts her chest up, pushing him onto the landing below her. Seated in a crouch on the rusting railing, she hisses, "Then keep your TV set switched off."

Chat groans; his expression contorted in pain, he shouts, "I don't mean on the TV."  
Ladybug cocks her head to the side. She floats off the railing and leans into her clasped hands, eyeing him with an amused curiosity. "Do enlighten me, young one. What does that mean?"

His reply fumbles in his throat. He stares at her levitating figure, then regathers himself. His tone uncertain, hopeful, he says, "You once said our job is to keep Paris safe. And that that sometimes entails taking a few people out."

She twirls her hand. "And that means..."  
"You're smart enough. Figure it out."

Ladybug smirks. Then, without another word, she turns and leaps to another building, clearing the space between them with ease. She runs for a few meters, then salutes him. "Well, then." Her hands clasp behind her, and she nods, leaning onto her toes before falling back onto the bottoms of her feet. "Godspeed, my good sir." With that, she leaps over the edge of the building and disappears.

To her glee (and Marinette's disappointment), Chat doesn't recover soon enough to follow after them.

. . .

Tikki's seated in the center of the bed when they return. Marinette reverts to her civilian attire, a nightgown the color of a dying candlelight, and begins to approach her bed; her anklet jangles with each step, bringing a jovial atmosphere to the building at the heart of a collapsing city. Her hand falls beside Tikki's body, and she crawls onto the bed.

"Tikki?"  
"..."

"I know this looks bad", she goes on, biting on a fingernail. "I might have gotten a little carried away. But trust me, I can handle this. I'm already working on a plan."  
Tikki looks over her shoulder. Her expression calm, her eyes devoid of everything but rising resentment, she states, "Sixty civilians are dead, Mari. The Seine's contaminated with your toxins. The mayor's outlawed Ladybug attire and merchandise, saying anyone caught in possession of them will immediately arrested or worse." Her wings propel her off the ground, and she glares, her body taking on a deep shade of red. "How are you handling this? And how on earth could you possibly fix this? There's practically no city left to save!"  
Marinette scratches the back of her neck. She crosses her legs, presses her hands against her knees, and looks away from Tikki's piercing eyes. "They were robbing that bank. I had to stop them", she protests weakly.

"They weren't hurting anyone." Pulses of energy emit from Tikki, and her hands bawl into fists. "And even if they were, they didn't deserve that. No one does. And what in the world were you doing with toxin bombs in the first place?"

Ladybug snickers and grips Marinette's by the shoulders. "Obviously", she inputs, stretching the words out like an elastic band. "We were having a bomb."  
"You, shut it." Her wings fluttering furiously, she flies to Mari. "You have to stop this now. I've been speaking with Plagg, Chat's kwami, and we both agree Ladybug has gotten out of control. We need to curb her immediately. One more attack and the other kwamis, no matter where they are or what they're doing, they're going to get involved."  
"I'm sorry, okay!" Marinette jumps off the bed and walks away. Tossing her arms out beside her, she says, "I didn't mean to kill anyone. But you-you can't take my miraculous." Her fingers shoot up to her ears; her chest heaves, and tears creep into her eyes. "I need to help."  
"It's destroying you, Mari!"  
She waves a hand at Tikki and starts for the window. Fingers pressed into her ears, she murmurs, "Leave me alone", and leans over her desk.  
"Mari-"  
"Just leave me alone!" Red auras surround her hands, and her eyes bleed crimson as she turns around and fires an uneven energy field at Tikki. Tikki's eyes widen, and she pushes out her hands to brace for the impact, but the feeble field of energy she produces is no match as Marinette's overcomes hers and reduces her tiny, cheerful body to a stiff vessel. Marinette brings her hands to her mouth, her last breath stuck in her chest. She rushes back towards the bed and finds a charred corpse in Tikki's place.

"No. Oh, God, no. Tikki?" She reaches forward and begins to lift up Tikki. The breath she'd been holding quickly expels when the effort results only in the body to crumbling to ashes. Hands trembling, Marinette backs against a wall and flexes her fingers at her sides. "Oh, my God. Please. Please, no, no, I-I'm sorry."  
Outside, sirens wail. A droning voice explodes from a megaphone, reporting elevated toxicity in the air, and "strongly advises" surviving civilians to make an orderly evacuation.

Ladybug chuckles and wraps her arms around Mari. With a deep, relaxed inhale, she pushes forward and melts into her body once more. "There's no need for tears", Ladybug says, her hands flaring up with red energy. "We've just relaunched a movement that's been wrongfully postponed several millennia." She listens to wailing sirens and tormented cries outside the apartment, a gleeful smile sliding upon her face. "Only, we're gonna do it right this time. Nanette was weak, you know? Sacrificed herself to end the war. But not this time. Cause this time, wearer and persona are one, and there's no one left to ruin the fun." She stalks towards the window and watches as a fire truck crashes into a convenience store.

Tossing the window open above her, Ladybug sticks her head out and watches as smoke fumes emerge from the ruined vehicle. Warmth spreads throughout her body, and she rises from the floor, leaving only the nail of her pinkie toe grounded. A fireman kicks out the glass of one of the windows and tumbles through, crashing to the ground before he begins to spasm and presses the palms of his hands into his eyes. Anguished cries expel from his chest, and he curls into a ball, his spine twisted and his skin a deep hue of purple. Ladybug smiles. She leans into her hand and sighs. "Oh, honey, we're gonna have all kinds of fun."


	11. Raising Hell and Starting Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette. Ladybug's a salty little bitch :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the end, guys. This chapter honestly isn't going to be much. It's more of a "What Happens Next?", than the actual conclusion it should have. Now, with that out of the way, I'd like to talk about some personal (ish) things.  
> First off, I'd like to address the lovely commenter O. Your questions and theories were very fun to read, and I want you to know I've responded to them. I know you're commenting as a guest, and I don't want to leave you hanging. Second off, thank you for everyone else who's left a bookmark, kudo, comment, hit, and whatever the fuck else (sorry, kinda writing this in a hurry, and I don't wanna leave out anyone else, but I can't remember the other tools of the site). You guys are all amazing, and I so so SO appreciate all the support. If you like what you've seen here, please do check out my other fics here on AO3 and on ff.net.  
> Okay, that's enough of me babbling. Sorry, guys. Here is the final chapter of Orbiting You Like You're Not a Pending Catastrophe (I sound like a fucking awards show MC holy fuck), and I hope you enjoy it.

The Second Great Kwami Split occurs after the fall of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica; the church crumbles, the people collapse, and the Council of Kwamis dissects itself. Regardless of their methods, each takes to fighting the opposition and further increases the already elevated body count. 

With each sunrise, the situation becomes more dire, and Marinette's soul grows fainter. Ladybug's grip on her is both metallic, corrosive. As the days drawn on, Marinette finds herself capable of manifesting only in the early hours of the morning. On one such morning, when the skies are peppered with specks of orange and black, she rests in the communication center of the Eiffel Tower; she's unsuited, her body lax against the puddled iron beneath her. Her eyes have just begun to flutter, the now familiar yanking sensation blossoming in her chest, when she hears footsteps. Instinctively, she reaches for her earrings, only to stop when she spots a fuzzy head of golden hair peeking over the railing.

Adrien blinks and crouches. "Hey, Marinette."

Marinette exhales softly. She fingers the clovers of her anklet; the subsequent jingle she receives is both soothing and perturbing. For a moment, she is reminded of another day in the sunlight, when they laid facing each others, bodies sinking into the earth and grounded by the sound of each other's voices. It's only been a few weeks since then, but the evasive numbness abrading her conscious makes the day more resemble a second-hand anecdote than an actual memory. "Hey, Adrien."

Ladybug steps out of Marinette and smirks. "Well. Isn't this civil?"  
Chat watches the shudder that afflicts Marinette. His eyes dart about her general vicinity, searching for something that isn't there, before returning back to her. "What are you doing here?"  
"Waiting for night fall. But I guess you already knew that."

He shrugs. "Call it a hunch...So you know, then? Who I am?"  
"Yeah." She rises to her feet and leans over the railing. The metal chips underneath her arm and clings to her skin like charred snowflakes. Her nose turns up, and she scowls, brushing her fingers against the aggravated skin. "And you know who I am, I'm assuming." When Chat says nothing, she sighs and turns to face Paris. "Guess the Second Guerre was enlightening for all of us."  
"I guess so." He crosses his arms and follows her line of sight. "Your parents called, you know. They were on their way back into town when the fighting started. They're worried."  
Marinette closes her eyes. "I know. If you see them...tell them I'm okay."  
He frowns. He takes a step forward and sets a cautious hand over hers. "You could come with me."  
"I can't. Not after all I've done."  
"You're not doing anything now."  
She shakes her head again, the motion quick and insistent. "I'm only me for a few hours after dawn. After that, I can't guarantee that I won't hurt anyone." She turns to face him. "It's the only way I can still protect Paris. Don't make me give that up."  
He presses his head against her shoulder. Marinette sighs and lifts her free hand to cradle his face. "Adrien-"

"This has happened before", he cuts in. "Nanette. You know about her, right? Okay, then you know that she beat Ladybug. I've got every reason to believe that you can, too."

"Adrien, there's no coming back from this." Adrien presses closer, and Ladybug curls her fingers around her forearm. Marinette gulps and traces her fingers over his sideburns. "She's not gonna stop", she continues as Ladybug tugs her arm impatiently. "Until she gets what she wants. Trust me." Her eyes flash red, and her hand begins to tremble underneath his. "I know."  
Adrien lowers his eyes. "Plagg told me about Tikki."

Marinette scoffs. She steps away and shakes her head. Specks of red energy fall from her hair and glide to the ground. "And he let you come near me?"  
"He needed a little persuading but yeah. He still thinks you're good. And so do I."  
"I can't control her."  
Adrien sits up and crosses the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. Marinette melts into them, curling her shoulders inward and ducking her head into the crook of his neck. Adrien's heart beats frantically behind the thin, black shirt, but he keeps his arms wrapped tightly around her. "You don't have to control her." Gentle lips press against her hair, and she raises her head. "You just have to beat her."  
She shakes her head. "Even if I do, it won't erase all the bad I've done."  
"Yeah, and all the good you've done won't be erased by the last few weeks." He taps her chin with his finger. "Eyes on me, okay?" He smiles, lips tilted upward at first, then overshadowed by his teeth when Marinette complies. "We're gonna figure this out."  
"I don't even know where to start", she admits. Her words are heavy with exhaustion, and her body's no better off. Her skin is pale and bruised, like it's been snatched off her bones and dragged against jagged rock. She sways in the wind, as if gravity is struggling to maintain its hold on her.  
Adrien brushes a strand of hair over Marinette's ear. "To be honest, neither do I." His eyes pause to take in the ruins of the northern region of the city. When Marinette frowns and twists to follow his gaze, he shakes his head and holds her tighter, pressing his chin into her forehead. "But we'll figure it out. Together."  
She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. "So, what, you're gonna keep me grounded?"  
"Like an anchor." His lips lower to her ears, and he says, he begs, "Just let me in."

She tosses her arms around his neck and sighs shakily. "She's still here", Marinette whispers, her bottom lip trembling.  
"I know."  
Ladybug stomps her foot and pouts. Marinette sniffles, then looks up at Adrien. The fear and guilt heavily embedded within her eyes fades and is replaced by a cautious curiosity. She rubs her fingers over his arms and allows her attention to drift to his wrist. As she takes in the dangling bells of his bracelet, she finds herself reminded of another bell, of a bell that's always existed against a lonely backdrop of black. Marinette cocks her head to the side and asks, "Has Chat manifested?"

Adrien blushes. He ducks his head and looks away, his hair shocked into a frenzy field of yellow. "Not at the moment", he eventually replies. "But he did. A few years back, when we first got into the job."  
"How do you keep him in", she wonders; there's no concealing the envy tinting her words. And for a moment, she's flush with embarrassment, once again ashamed of her lack of control. Aside from the light blush across his cheeks, though, it doesn't appear to bother him, so she keeps close to him. She leans her head against his chest again and says, "I've never heard any reports of Chat Noir wrecking the city."  
"Don't get me wrong", he explains. "I'm in a good spot now, but it was hell when I first got my ring." He drags his fingers over his bracelet and hums a semi-familiar tune. "I had a new punching bag in my room every few days, and even then, it was still a nightmare. It was actually, like, eight months before I even started the job, you know."  
"But you stayed in control."  
Adrien nods. "Plagg thinks it's because, being the mascot for bad luck and all, Chat Noir's already pretty dark. If the wearer's ever going through something, it won't impact the Persona as much cause being bad comes as a given; you can't become bad if you're already bad. At least, that's what I got from it. But with Ladybug...she's good. She's supposed to be kind and considerate and full of life. When something bad happens to her-"  
"She gets addicted to the bad" Marinette finishes. "She tries to keep with her agenda but does it with her strongest traits tainted with the bad."  
Chat smiles and offers a gentle shrug. "It's just a theory. So it's not set in stone." When he loses Marinette's eyes at that, he frowns and grabs her by the chin with tender fingers. "Hey, look at me. By all definitions, I should be a supervillain." He gestures to himself, to his ripped jeans, black gloves, and grey trench coat." Marinette snorts a little at that, prompting Chat to continue on. "But I'm not. I'm me. It can be a bit confusing sometimes, but I know I'm me. And you know you're you. You just gotta push back."  
Ladybug materializes once again. "Oh, barf."

Adrien squeezes Marinette's arms. "I won't lie", he warns. "This is gonna suck. And it's gonna hurt like hell. But she cannot make you anything you aren't. Okay?"

"Okay." Clearing her throat, she takes a step back and stares up at him. She stumbles a little from the movement but quickly regains her footing. Her face closing off in an expression that reads "business", she nods and crosses her arms over her chest. "So what do we do?"  
Adrien turns as something explodes in the far distance. His eyes focus on a burning warehouse; a frustrated whine sounds from him, and his leg begins to bounce. "First? We get the kwamis to stop fighting. If we can do that, then I think we can put Ladybug back in the Astral Plane."

"You make it sound so easy."  
"I try." Plagg shoots out of his backpack and sends Adrien into transformation. When he stills, he extends his hand and nods suggestively. Marinette inhales sharply, twirls her hands beside her ears, and transforms as well. Ladybug giggles and hops beside her, eager to merge with her. But when her hands meets her shoulder, she's met with resistance and flung against the wall behind them. She growls and starts toward Adrien. Before Marinette can deflect the hand moving to strike him, a insipid Chat materializes and steps in front of him. Ladybug hisses, then turns back to Marinette. She reaches forward once more, chest heaving, and says, "You can't do this to me. I fucking made you, you ungrateful little brat. Do you think you would be anything without me? Do you think you could ever keep Paris safe without me?"

"Is she here", Adrien asks, pulling her closer to him. Another section of the city catches fire; he steps so that the view's blocked from her sight, and directs her to the Tuileries Garden, one of the few sites untainted by the War.

"Yeah, she's here."  
"Well, whatever she's saying-"  
"I know." She glances up at him and nods. "I know."

Adrien pulls his baton out of his pocket and snaps it forward, extending its length several inches. It presses into the ground. He brushes his cheek against Marinette's head, and Marinette cradles into his side. She dances her fingers beneath his earlobe and smiles at the flutter his eyelashes give. Her hair engulfed in hellish energy, she rests her head against Adrien's shoulder and sighs.

"All right. Let's go to war."


End file.
